Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State have distanced themselves from the Rainbow Coalition arrangement, insisting that they were never consulted and are not part of any coalition agreement.
The candidates disagreed with the position reportedly canvassed by the PDP National Secretary at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, where the Rainbow Coalition arrangement was said to have been discussed.
Speaking on behalf of the candidates, they said no meeting was held with them, no agreement was reached with them, and nobody called them before the arrangement was announced.
“We were not sat down for any coalition agreement. Nobody called us before now,” one of the candidates said.
“We are not part of Rainbow Coalition. We are PDP candidates, and we will contest our elections on the platform of the PDP.”
The Oyo State PDP candidates maintained that they remain committed to the party and will not step down for candidates of any other political party.
They stressed that the people of Oyo State know them and are ready to vote for them based on their track records, adding that any arrangement that requires them to sacrifice their candidacies is unacceptable.
They further called on the national leadership of the party to respect the autonomy of state chapters and to consult widely before entering into any political arrangement that affects candidates at the state level.
According to them, the PDP in Oyo State remains united, strong, and focused on winning all elections in the state in 2027.
The Rainbow Coalition has continued to generate controversy within the PDP, with several state chapters, including Oyo, insisting that their candidates will contest under the party’s platform rather than withdraw in favour of candidates from other parties.
