Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has said there is no “Rainbow Coalition” in Ebonyi State, insisting that the state remains aligned with the All Progressives Congress and its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
Umahi spoke on Friday, September 25, 2026, during an inspection of the ongoing Calabar-Abuja Superhighway in Benue State, against the backdrop of political disagreements surrounding the cross-party coalition associated with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Wike has described the Rainbow Coalition as a platform for politicians from different parties to support President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid while retaining their identities and freedom to contest other elections.
Asked about reports that a similar arrangement was being developed in Ebonyi, Umahi said he had no such arrangement with Wike.
“If Wike has candidates here, he has not told me. And his candidate cannot break our relationship, but his candidate is not part of our relationship. There is no rainbow coalition in Ebonyi State,” he said.
Umahi also revisited his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party, saying he believed the party had failed to adequately recognise the interests of the South-East.
“We supported PDP. We voted for presidents in PDP. And when it was our time for them to honour us, they did not honour us. They maltreated us,” he said.
He said politicians were free to campaign in Ebonyi but warned against hate speech or actions capable of creating disorder.
“Anybody that wants to campaign, come and campaign. But don’t dish out hate speeches,” Umahi said, adding that nobody would be allowed to foment crisis in the state.
His comments come amid wider debate over whether cross-party support for Tinubu could operate alongside APC structures and candidates in the 2027 elections.
Umahi also linked his political support for Tinubu to the Federal Government’s infrastructure programme, rejecting claims that he had concentrated federal projects in the South-East.
“I saw on social media where they say I cornered all projects to Southeast. That is very wonderful,” he said.
He cited the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway as one of the major projects being executed across several geopolitical zones.
During Friday’s inspection, Umahi directed contractors working on Section Two of the highway to accelerate construction and open additional work fronts.
He also instructed contractors not to demolish buildings along the existing alignment until the Federal Ministry of Works completes a review and determines whether sections of the route require realignment.
“My directive is that no building should be touched. Even if it’s within the alignment, I have to come and realign it,” he said.
The minister directed contractors to work around affected buildings while engineers address challenges around the Ado Bridge.
The Federal Government describes the Calabar-Abuja corridor as a strategic infrastructure project connecting the South-South, South-East and North-Central regions.
Umahi said his support for Tinubu was also influenced by the administration’s infrastructure programme and the need for continuity on projects that require several years to complete.
“If, God forbid, another person says he’s President, all these projects will be stalled,” he said.
On his son’s nomination as chairman of Ohaozara Local Government Area, Umahi said the decision was made by Ebonyi Governor Francis Nwifuru and not by him.
He said he had advised his son to ensure that development was distributed equitably across all 11 wards in the council area.
Umahi’s comments add to the political debate in Ebonyi as parties and political actors prepare for the 2027 elections.
