Nyesom Wike
Abuja — Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has disclosed that the former G-5 governors deliberately allowed Labour Party candidate Peter Obi to secure victories in parts of the South-South during the 2023 presidential election as a strategic move to weaken the chances of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar.
Wike made the revelation during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout. According to reporting by Arise News and other outlets, the minister explained that the G-5 group viewed the PDP’s traditional strength in the South-South as a major advantage for Atiku and therefore adopted a calculated approach.
“When you talk of south-south, I can tell you what happened. How did he (Obi) win? We, in the G5, had our strategy. We said, PDP is stronger in the south-south. And our problem would be Atiku,” Wike said.
“Therefore, instead of Atiku to take it, let it go to the Labour Party. It was only in Rivers, I said, ‘No, Obi would not win here because if he does, it would send a wrong signal somewhere and people would not understand it.’ And we stopped it.
“But we agreed that Atiku is a problem and PDP is strong in the south-south. So, if PDP does not win in the south-south, it is a disappointment to Atiku. An Obi win won’t help him anywhere. We did that.”
The G-5, also known as the Integrity Group, consisted of five PDP governors — Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) — who opposed Atiku’s candidacy after the party’s presidential primary. The group had demanded that the party’s national chairmanship and presidential ticket should not both go to the North.
Wike specifically cited Edo and Cross River as states where the strategy was applied. He maintained that preventing a PDP sweep in the region was intended to deny Atiku critical votes, while an Obi victory in those areas would not significantly boost the Labour Party candidate’s national prospects.
The comments have sparked fresh debate. Critics interpreted the remarks as an admission of electoral interference, with some social media posts framing them as confirmation of result manipulation. Wike has rejected the rigging allegations, describing them as a “baseless narrative” and questioning how any individual could alter outcomes across thousands of polling units.
Arise News and other platforms have reported the minister’s account as a political strategy rather than a confession of illegal activities. Wike also noted that other factors, including opposition to the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, contributed to Obi’s performance in some states in 2023.
The disclosures come as political discussions intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Wike remaining a prominent figure in national politics while continuing to serve as FCT Minister under President Bola Tinubu.
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