The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Monday, 21 September, 2026, revealed the circumstances surrounding Peter Obi’s failure to win the 2023 presidential election in Rivers State.
Reports have it that there have been allegations that the outcome of the polls, particularly in Rivers State, was manipulated to favour the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Peter Obi, who was the presidential flagbearer of the Labour Party (LP) in the last election, had instead claimed that he won the election in Rivers State.
Speaking during an interview on TVC News on Monday, 21 September, 2026, Wike, a former Governor of Rivers State, said he and members of the defunct G-5 Governors stopped Peter Obi from winning the state.
According to him, the Labour Party was allowed to win parts of the South-South in the 2023 elections to prevent the then-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, from winning the region.
“We in the G-5 have our strategy. We said the PDP was stronger in the South-South and our problem was Atiku. Therefore, instead of Atiku taking it, let it go to the Labour Party.
“It was only Rivers State where we said, ‘No, we have a problem here in Rivers. Obi will not win here. If he wins, he will send a signal somewhere.’ We stopped it.
“It is no longer the same scenario. I can tell you authoritatively now that Obi can’t win the South-South,” Wike said.
