Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has reflected on the circumstances surrounding the defeat of former Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar in Rivers State during the 2023 general election. Wike stated that Atiku was defeated due to a tactical voting strategy involving Peter Obi, the then Labour Party presidential candidate. This strategy was designed to weaken Atiku's chances at the polls.
According to Wike, the G-5 Governors, a group of PDP governors, deployed the strategy to prevent Atiku from harvesting traditional PDP votes in the Southsouth region. Wike, who was a former Rivers State governor, claimed that Atiku was the primary target, not Peter Obi. The strategy aimed to deny Atiku votes in the Southsouth, a PDP stronghold, which Wike believed would have significantly impacted the presidential contest.
Wike and Atiku had parted ways following the controversial PDP presidential primary in Abuja, which threw up Atiku as the candidate. Wike and his colleagues, including Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Samuel Ortom, and Seyi Makinde, had protested the neglect of zoning, accusing the party of playing a politics of exclusion to the detriment of the South.
Contrary to the widespread perception that Obi was a major threat in the election, Wike said the G-5 identified Atiku as the candidate whose votes needed to be reduced in the region. Wike recalled that their strategy was to vote for Obi in certain areas to deny Atiku votes. He stressed that Obi was not the real threat, but rather a trend on social media.
The minister also dismissed claims of electoral malpractice in Rivers State during the 2023 presidential election. He challenged those alleging manipulation to produce polling-unit results before the appropriate tribunal, stating that social media projections could not substitute for legally admissible electoral evidence.
Wike took a swipe at lawmakers criticizing the FCT Administration over borrowing and capital projects. He said the administration had pushed the implementation of the 2026 capital budget beyond 60 percent despite delays in its passage and assent. Wike urged lawmakers seeking re-election to account for their stewardship instead of making the FCT Administration's borrowing and infrastructure program an issue.
The minister reviewed the progress of strategic projects and announced completion targets for some of them. At Galadimawa District, the project is expected to be completed by December 15, while the N5/Life Camp axis and N16/Guzape project are targeted for completion by December and January 2027, respectively.
Key points
- The G-5 Governors deployed a tactical voting strategy involving Peter Obi to weaken Atiku Abubakar's chances in the 2023 general election.
- Wike dismissed claims of electoral malpractice in Rivers State during the 2023 presidential election.
- The FCT Administration has pushed the implementation of the 2026 capital budget beyond 60 percent despite delays.
