Nigeria: No Backdoor Meeting Can Halt Rainbow Coalition, Crp Tells Nunieh, Others

What the report says

Concerned Rivers People (CRP) has said that reported meetings involving former Niger Delta Development Commission managing director Joy Nunieh, Gabriel Pidomson and Dumo Lulu-Briggs will not derail the Rainbow Coalition. The account, carried in Vanguard and distributed by AllAfrica, says the group made the remarks in a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Sunny Nwagbo, on Sunday. CRP said it believes the coalition remains intact and that informal political discussions will not change what it described as the public’s will.

According to the report, CRP alleged that Nunieh hosted Pidomson and Lulu-Briggs at her residence to discuss matters linked to the coalition. The group framed those meetings as “backdoor politics” and argued they would not alter the coalition’s direction or objectives. It also urged Nunieh to reflect on her earlier political experiences, suggesting concern that she may have forgotten them.

The dispute appears to be part of broader political positioning around Rivers State. While the article does not provide independent confirmation of the alleged meeting or any response from Nunieh, Pidomson or Lulu-Briggs, it shows that CRP is seeking to project the Rainbow Coalition as a durable political platform. In general, such statements are common in Nigerian party and coalition politics, where public messaging is often used to counter speculation about defections, alliances or internal negotiations.