Minister of Works Dave Umahi has rejected suggestions that a so-called Rainbow Coalition linked to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike is operating in Ebonyi State, insisting that the state remains firmly aligned with the All Progressives Congress.
Umahi made the remarks while inspecting the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway in Benue State.
The Rainbow Coalition has been described as a cross-party political arrangement associated with Wike and intended to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election while allowing participants to retain different party loyalties in other contests.
Umahi said he had no knowledge of any such coalition in Ebonyi and added that Wike had not informed him of any preferred candidates in the state.
“There is no rainbow coalition in Ebonyi State,” he said.
The former Ebonyi governor also revisited his departure from the Peoples Democratic Party, saying he believed the party failed to adequately recognize the South-East despite long-standing political support from the region.
He said political opponents were free to campaign in Ebonyi but warned against hate speech and efforts to provoke disorder.
Umahi also defended the distribution of federal infrastructure projects, rejecting claims that he had concentrated projects in the South-East.
He argued that the South-East was receiving projects as part of a wider federal programme and said Nigerians should assess the Tinubu administration based on projects already under construction.
During the inspection, Umahi cited the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway as one of those projects.
He said Section Two covers about 173.6 kilometers and is valued at about N683 billion, while Section One is valued at about N454 billion.
The minister directed contractors not to demolish buildings on the existing alignment until ongoing reviews were completed and possible realignments determined.
He also instructed contractors to accelerate work and open more sections while engineers resolved challenges around the Ado Bridge.
On the nomination of his son as chairman of Ohaozara Local Government Area, Umahi said the decision was made by Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru and not by him.
