Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has explained the political strategy adopted by the G5 governors during the 2023 presidential election, saying they encouraged support for Peter Obi to reduce the votes available to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar.
Wike made the disclosure on Wednesday while speaking with journalists in Abuja.
The former Rivers State governor was responding to claims that he and other members of the G5 manipulated the 2023 presidential election in Rivers State and other parts of the South-South to favour President Bola Tinubu.
Wike rejected the allegation, describing it as a false narrative that gained traction largely through social media.
His comments followed remarks he made during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout, where he discussed the strategy used by the G5 governors during the election.
According to Wike, the objective was not to rig the election but to prevent Atiku from securing the level of support he might otherwise have received in the region.
“We felt that Atiku was more of a factor in that election than Obi. So our strategy was that, make sure that you vote for Obi to win in order to deny Atiku the votes,” Wike said.
He maintained that the strategy was successful, while insisting that this should not be interpreted as an admission of electoral manipulation.
Wike also challenged allegations that he personally altered election results, questioning how an individual could manipulate results from thousands of polling units.
“People who don’t understand, how can they say I rigged the election? How would I have done it? So, I just took the result sheets, wrote it, and gave it to INEC?” he asked.
The minister further cautioned against relying on social media trends to determine the outcome of a nationwide election.
“I’ve always said social media does not win elections. You have about 176,000 polling units, and probably you have seen 300 polling units and then you rush to the conclusion that so-and-so has won,” he said.
Wike argued that allegations of manipulation in Rivers State were also not established through the legal process.
The G5, comprising five PDP governors who opposed Atiku’s presidential bid amid a dispute over the party’s leadership and power-sharing arrangements, played a significant role in the political dynamics leading up to the 2023 election.
Wike has continued to defend the decision by the group to withhold support from Atiku, while maintaining that its actions were political rather than an attempt to interfere with the electoral process.
He urged Nigerians to assess the 2023 election based on official results and established facts rather than conclusions drawn from social media discussions.
