Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has revealed how the G-5 governors strategically worked against the presidential ambition of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the South-South during the 2023 election.
Wike disclosed this on Monday during an interview on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout where he explained that the G-5 identified Atiku and the strength of the PDP in the region as a major concern and decided to allow Labour Party candidate Peter Obi to win 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.”
He, however, said the group deliberately stopped Obi from winning Rivers State because of the political implications of such a victory.
“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 G5 governors were PDP governors who opposed Atiku Abubakar’s presidential candidacy in 2023, arguing that the party’s presidential ticket should be zoned to the South after eight years of a northern presidency under Muhammadu Buhari.
The group comprised Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Nyesom Wike of Rivers and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu.
