How G-5 Governors Aided Obi's Win Over Atiku in Edo and Cross River during 2023 Election, Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has shared how the G-5 governors worked against Atiku Abubakar's presidential campaign in the South-South during the 2023 election.

Wike talked about this on Monday in an interview on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout. He explained that the G-5 saw Atiku and the PDP's strength in the region as a big issue. They decided to let Labour Party's Peter Obi win in some states.

He said, “How did he win? When the G-5, we sat, we had our strategy. We said in Edo, PDP is stronger in the South-South. Our problem will be Atiku. Therefore, instead of Atiku to take it, let it go to the Labour Party. That was our strategy. Cross River, the same thing. That’s what we did.”

Wike added that they intentionally stopped Obi from winning Rivers State due to the political effects of such a win.

“It was only Rivers that said, ‘No, we have a problem here in Rivers. Obi will not win here because if he wins, he sends a signal somewhere, people may not understand it.’ And we stopped…we stopped it,” Wike said.

The G-5 governors were PDP governors who didn't support Atiku Abubakar’s presidential bid in 2023. They believed the party’s presidential ticket should go to the South after eight years of northern presidency under Muhammadu Buhari.

The group included Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Nyesom Wike of Rivers, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu.

Wike said their strategy was used in Edo and Cross River, where the PDP was seen as strong. They wanted to stop Atiku from gaining any votes.

The FCT minister said the G-5 believed that if the PDP lost in the South-South, it would hurt Atiku's chances. They thought an Obi win would not really help him much.

“But we agreed that, look, Atiku is a problem, PDP is strong in the South-South. So if PDP does not win in South-South, it’s a disadvantage to Atiku. Obi winning will not help Obi anywhere. We did that. We did that,” he said.

Wike then questioned if Obi could repeat his 2023 success in the region when the 2027 presidential election comes around.

He specifically asked how Obi would win in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Delta states given the current political situation.

“In Cross River now, how will Obi win? In Akwa Ibom, how will he win? In Delta, how will he win?” Wike asked.

Wike pointed out that the political situation that benefited Obi in 2023 has changed. He mentioned the controversy around the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.

He said, “Under 2023 there was this campaign of Christianity, there was this campaign of Muslim-Muslim ticket. There was, there was, seriously, seriously.”

Wike mentioned that the Muslim-Muslim ticket issue does not have the same impact anymore.

He said, “It’s no longer there now. It’s no longer there. No more like Muslim-Muslim ticket. Well, it doesn’t work. Tinubu has been able to kill that.”

Wike also stated that the support Obi had in the South-East during the 2023 election isn't the same now.

“What people, what we know now, Obi does not have it, and he won’t have it,” he said.

He advised Obi to focus on the 2031 election instead of the 2027 one. He said, “For this election, leave it for Tinubu. Prepare for 2031. And that’s the truth of the matter.”