The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has made a startling revelation about the 2023 presidential election. During an interview on TVC's Journalists' Hangout, Wike disclosed that the G5 governors, a group of five governors from the Peoples Democratic Party, deliberately allowed Labour Party candidate Peter Obi to win in the South-South region. This move was a calculated political strategy designed to block the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, from securing victory in the region.
According to Wike, the South-South has historically been a stronghold for the PDP. However, the rebel governors identified Atiku as a major political problem and decided to hand certain states to the Labour Party. The goal was to sabotage Atiku without actually making Obi president. Wike explained that the G5 concluded an Obi victory in the South-South would be a massive disappointment to Atiku, while ultimately doing little to help Obi win the presidency.
Wike revealed that he personally blocked Obi from winning Rivers State to prevent sending the wrong political signal. He stated that if Obi had won Rivers State, it would have sent a wrong signal and people would not have understood it. The former Rivers State governor emphasized that the G5's strategy was not to support Obi's presidency but to deny Atiku victory in the region.
Wike further dismissed Peter Obi's chances ahead of the 2027 general elections. He argued that the unique political factors that fueled Obi's popularity in 2023 no longer exist. Specifically, he pointed to the heavy religious campaigning against the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, which he said drove massive support for the Labour Party candidate. Wike stated that things have changed, and there is no more Muslim-Muslim ticket issue because President Tinubu has been able to address it.
Wike boldly declared that Obi has lost the crucial backing of the masses in the South-East and South-South. He advised the former Anambra governor to abandon any hopes of contesting in 2027. Wike stated that what people need now, Obi does not have it, and he will never have it. He suggested that Obi should leave it for President Tinubu and come back in 2031.
Wike, a chieftain of the PDP, currently serves as the FCT Minister under President Bola Tinubu's APC administration. He has actively been campaigning for Tinubu's second-term bid. His bitter feud with Atiku began before the 2022 PDP presidential primaries. Following Atiku's victory, Wike formed the G5 alliance alongside four other PDP governors: Seyi Makinde, Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Okezie Ikpeazu.
The G5 alliance successfully boycotted Atiku's 2023 campaign, insisting that the presidency must return to the south. Wike's revelation has sparked controversy in the Nigerian political space, with many questioning the implications of the G5's strategy on the country's democracy. The development has also raised concerns about the role of godfatherism and political manipulation in Nigerian politics.
Key points
- The G5 governors deliberately allowed Peter Obi to win in the South-South region to block Atiku Abubakar's chances in the 2023 presidential election.
- Wike personally blocked Obi from winning Rivers State to prevent sending the wrong political signal.
- Wike dismissed Obi's chances in the 2027 general elections, citing a loss of crucial backing from the masses in the South-East and South-South.
