Wike Denies Rigging 2023 Election for Tinubu, Explains G5 Strategy

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has denied allegations that he manipulated the 2023 presidential election in the South-South to favour President Bola Tinubu over the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi.

Wike addressed the controversy on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking with journalists, describing the allegation as a “baseless narrative” driven largely by social media discussions.

The controversy followed comments Wike made during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout, where he explained the political strategy adopted by the G5 group of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors during the 2023 presidential election.

According to Wike, the G5’s strategy was primarily aimed at preventing the PDP presidential candidate at the time, Atiku Abubakar, from benefiting from the party’s traditional political strength in the South-South.

He explained that the group considered Atiku a greater political threat and therefore supported a strategy that allowed Obi to gain votes in some parts of the region rather than allowing Atiku to benefit from the PDP’s established support base.

Wike, however, rejected the interpretation that the strategy amounted to personally rigging the election.

“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.

Wike Questions Social Media Claims

The FCT minister also cautioned against drawing conclusions about the outcome of a presidential election from limited polling-unit results circulated on social media.

He noted that the 2023 election involved thousands of polling units across the country and argued that results from a small number of polling units could not by themselves establish the overall outcome.

“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,” Wike said.

He further argued that allegations of electoral manipulation should have been supported by evidence during the legal challenges that followed the 2023 presidential election.

Wike referred specifically to the court proceedings arising from the election and questioned whether evidence from Rivers State was presented before the tribunal to substantiate claims that a particular candidate had won the state.

G5 Strategy Targeted Atiku, Wike Says

Explaining the calculations behind the G5 strategy, Wike said the group considered Atiku a more significant political factor because of the PDP’s traditional strength in the South-South.

“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,” he said.

Wike said the strategy was applied in parts of the region, including Edo and Cross River, while Rivers State was treated differently because of the political implications that an outright Obi victory could have had there.

He maintained that the strategy was a political calculation rather than an attempt to alter election results unlawfully.

The former Rivers State governor also questioned the significance attached to Obi’s popularity on social media, arguing that online visibility should not automatically be equated with electoral strength across the country.

“Obi wasn’t a threat. Obi was merely a threat by social media. Even if Obi had secured Rivers outright, it would not have altered the outcome of the presidential race,” Wike said.

‘You Cannot Rig Where You Are Not Popular’

Wike also rejected the suggestion that an election could simply be manipulated in favour of a candidate without corresponding political support among voters.

“When you talk about rigging, you cannot rig an election where you are not popular. You cannot. If you try that, then you see what will happen to you. People will resist it,” he said.

He maintained that the G5 governors had deliberately pursued a political strategy during the 2023 election and said the group remained satisfied with the outcome.

“We had our strategy, and that strategy worked well for us,” Wike said.

The controversy comes as political parties and politicians intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the events and political alliances surrounding the 2023 presidential contest continuing to generate debate.

Wike’s latest comments therefore provide his account of the G5’s strategy during the 2023 election, while allegations of electoral manipulation remain a matter of political dispute among the various actors involved.

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