Political tensions surrounding the proposed Rainbow Coalition in Imo State have intensified following reports of a possible meeting between Governor Hope Uzodimma and Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretary.
The reported meeting is expected to focus on the proposed South-East Rainbow Coalition and possible political cooperation ahead of the 2027 general elections. However, no official confirmation or details of the proposed meeting have emerged from either camp as of the time of filing this report.
The development comes against the backdrop of a public disagreement between the two politicians over the coalition’s political relevance in Imo State.
On October 27, Uzodimma openly rejected the existence of a Rainbow Coalition in Imo while addressing supporters during the inauguration of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, a political platform mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
The governor warned APC members against working with political groups outside the ruling party and threatened to withdraw campaign vehicles distributed to supporters who disobeyed the directive.
“There’s no rainbow coalition in Imo State,” Uzodimma declared, insisting that the APC would secure victory across elective positions in the state in 2027.
His position triggered an immediate response from Anyanwu, who accused the governor of being concerned about the growing political influence of the coalition.
On October 28, Anyanwu maintained that the PDP’s alignment with the Rainbow Coalition would challenge the APC’s political dominance in Imo, insisting that the initiative had gained momentum across party lines.
He subsequently intensified his mobilisation efforts. Speaking at a gathering in Ikeduru Local Government Area on November 1, Anyanwu declared that the Rainbow Coalition had come to stay in Imo State and urged residents and political stakeholders to join the movement.
He described the coalition as an alliance involving the PDP and other political interests, including individuals from the APC, with the stated objective of building a common political platform ahead of future elections.
The controversy is connected to the wider Rainbow Coalition associated with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, which has brought together politicians from different parties to mobilise support for President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election.
However, the political arrangement has exposed disagreements within the APC, particularly between Wike and some APC governors who fear that the coalition could undermine their party’s candidates in governorship and legislative elections.
Uzodimma, who chairs the Progressive Governors Forum, has been among the prominent APC voices opposing political arrangements that could weaken the party’s candidates at other levels.
Wike, on the other hand, has maintained that the coalition’s primary objective is to support Tinubu’s re-election, while allowing its members to pursue other political interests.
The debate has also taken on a regional dimension. On November 7, Uzodimma hosted a gathering of South-East political, traditional, religious and business leaders in Owerri, where he called for greater regional unity and strategic engagement with the Federal Government.
The stakeholders reportedly adopted a nine-point communiqué addressing regional development, political representation, infrastructure, security and other concerns affecting the South-East.
Although that meeting was a broader regional engagement, it has added to the ongoing conversations about political cooperation and the need for South-East leaders to develop a common strategy ahead of 2027.
Whether the reported meeting between Uzodimma and Anyanwu will take place, and whether it could lead to any understanding over the proposed coalition, remains uncertain.
For now, their publicly stated positions reveal a significant political disagreement over the coalition’s place in Imo State and the future direction of political alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.
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