Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has said he will form a cross-party coalition involving members of the Peoples Democratic Party and other political groups to secure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Okorocha, who described the proposed alliance as a “Rainbow Coalition”, said the initiative would bring politicians across party lines together to support Tinubu in Imo State.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, the former governor said his return to the ballot as the APC candidate for Imo West Senatorial District would strengthen Tinubu’s chances in the state.
“With my name coming on the ballot paper now, Asiwaju can be sure that his victory is guaranteed in Imo State,” he said.
He added, “As I live here now, we’re going to start Rainbow Coalition. We’re going to bring PDP, all of them, to support Tinubu to win, and some people will step down from their positions to just make sure we achieve one common goal.”
Okorocha also criticised his successor, Governor Hope Uzodimma, describing him as an opportunist and arguing that he lacked the political influence to lead Imo and the wider Southeast.
“Hope cannot carry Imo; cannot carry Southeast. It’s in Abuja, in the villa here that Hope exists. He doesn’t exist down here, and I challenge him. Let’s move out and call the people and see what will happen,” he said.
The former governor also questioned Uzodimma’s decision to contest the 2027 Imo West senatorial election while his tenure as governor is expected to end in January 2028.
He argued that the governor could not hold two paid public offices simultaneously, citing Section 183 of the Constitution.
“The point we are making is that Hope Uzodinma has a tenure of eight years to elapse in January 2028. Hope is contesting for Senate, which starts in May 2027. What that means is that Hope Uzodinma is holding a paid job and seeking another paid job,” he said.
Okorocha, however, said the senatorial dispute was primarily about the documents submitted by the parties involved in the APC primary.
He had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1854/2026, challenging the recognition of Uzodimma as the APC candidate for Imo West.
The party and the Independent National Electoral Commission recognised Uzodimma as the winner, with INEC stating that he polled 230,464 votes against Okorocha’s 1,098. A separate document later circulated, claiming that Okorocha won with 150,780 votes.
Okorocha also commented on the presidential ambition of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, who is seeking the 2027 ticket of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
He described Obi as a capable politician but cautioned against the proposal for a four-year presidential tenure, saying it could undermine the Southeast’s future political calculations.
“Obi is a fantastic gentleman, clear in his head, cool; there’s nothing wrong with him, but we can’t gamble. We can’t do four years of gambling this time,” he said.
Okorocha said his support for Tinubu was based on strategic political considerations rather than sentiment, arguing that backing the President could help the Southeast secure support when it seeks the presidency in the future.
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