PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria — In a dramatic shift in the political landscape of Rivers State, Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara has formally declared his backing for the "Rainbow Coalition"—a multi-party political movement spearheaded by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Riven Medical Industries Project in Port Harcourt, Governor Fubara signaled an end to months of political friction, calling on his supporters to embrace unity across the state.

Setting out his political stance, Governor Fubara openly declared President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as his preferred presidential candidate, while naming House of Representatives Minority Leader, Rt. Hon. Kingsley (O.K.) Chinda, as his preferred candidate for the Rivers governorship race.

The governor instructed his political allies and loyalists across the state to collapse their structures into the Rainbow Coalition platform ahead of upcoming electoral contests.

"We have made peace in the state, and I am supporting our Rainbow Coalition," Fubara announced. "President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is our President, and he is the one we are supporting. O.K. Chinda is the governorship candidate that I am supporting, and anybody who believes in me will support him and every other candidate under the Rainbow Coalition."

Addressing supporters directly, Fubara cautioned against factional politics:

"I've gone back to our family. So, please, whoever you are, give your total support to the Rainbow Coalition. We need to move forward. The time for war is over. It is time for peace, and this peace is taking us to another level. So don't go anywhere and say you're supporting Fubara alone. No."

The governor made the political announcement alongside the official inauguration of Riven Medical Industries Limited—a redevelopment project aimed at transforming the former Integrated Medical Industries facility into a pharmaceutical manufacturing hub.

Fubara emphasized that prolonged political feuds had distracted from state development, assuring investors that his administration is committed to creating a stable economic environment for local and foreign capital.

With Fubara and Wike’s political structures aligning under the Rainbow Coalition banner, observers in Port Harcourt note that the move could redefine political alliances across the South-South region heading toward the next general election cycle.