Wike Rejects 2023 Election Rigging Allegations, Says G5 Strategy Was Designed to Checkmate Atiku
Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has rejected allegations that he manipulated the 2023 presidential election in the South-South to favour President Bola Tinubu over Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, saying the political strategy adopted by the G5 governors was aimed at preventing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from benefiting from the Peoples Democratic Party’s traditional strength in the region.
Wike made the clarification in Abuja on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, after comments he made during a television interview triggered renewed debate over the role of the G5 governors in the 2023 presidential election.
The former Rivers State governor had earlier explained during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout how the G5 — a group of five then-PDP governors opposed to Atiku’s presidential candidacy — approached the election in parts of the South-South.
According to Wike, the group regarded Atiku as the major political threat because of the PDP’s established strength in the region.
He said the strategy in states such as Edo and Cross River was to allow votes to move towards Obi rather than Atiku.
“Our strategy was that, listen, you vote, make sure that you vote for Obi to win, in order to deny Atiku the votes,” Wike said, according to reports of the interview.
Wike Explains the G5 Strategy
The G5 was made up of Wike, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu.
The governors had opposed Atiku’s emergence as the PDP’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 election and demanded greater consideration for southern interests within the party.
Wike said the group’s calculations were particularly relevant in states where the PDP had a strong political base.
He cited Edo and Cross River as examples, saying the G5 believed that allowing Obi to gain votes there would reduce the number of votes available to Atiku.
He also said Rivers State was treated differently because of the political implications the group associated with an Obi victory in the state.
“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,’” Wike said.
Wike Denies Manipulating Election Results
The comments subsequently generated accusations that Wike had effectively admitted to manipulating the 2023 presidential election.
Wike rejected that interpretation on Wednesday, describing the allegation that he personally rigged the election as a narrative driven largely by social media.
He questioned how an individual could have altered results across thousands of polling units and challenged critics to produce evidence demonstrating that the officially declared results were fabricated.
“People who don’t understand, how can they say I rigged the election?” Wike said, according to Voice of Nigeria.
The minister also referred to the legal challenges that followed the 2023 election, questioning whether evidence showing that Obi won Rivers State had been formally presented during the electoral litigation.
What the Official 2023 Results Show
The official election record provides an important distinction between Wike’s description of political strategy and allegations of formal manipulation of election results.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Tinubu the winner of the 2023 presidential election nationally, with 8,794,726 votes. Atiku received 6,984,520 votes, while Obi received 6,101,533 votes.
In Rivers State, INEC’s declared figures gave Tinubu 231,591 votes, Obi 175,071 and Atiku 88,468 votes. Tinubu therefore finished ahead of Obi in the state’s declared presidential result.
Premium Times reported that the Rivers figures were based on results collated from all 23 local government areas, with Tinubu winning 14 LGAs, Obi five and Atiku four.
The existence of those declared results does not, by itself, establish whether every allegation surrounding the election was valid or invalid. It does, however, provide the official electoral record against which subsequent political claims can be assessed.
Why the Rivers Result Became Central
Rivers has become particularly important to the renewed debate because Wike was governor of the state when the 2023 presidential election took place.
He had also publicly backed Tinubu despite remaining a member of the PDP at the time.
Wike has subsequently attributed Tinubu’s performance in Rivers to the political structure he controlled as governor.
At the same time, supporters of Obi have continued to dispute the declared Rivers result, with some citing polling-unit figures and alleging irregularities in the collation process. Those claims remain allegations and should not be presented as established facts without supporting evidence.
Political Strategy Versus Electoral Manipulation
The central issue raised by Wike’s latest comments is the distinction between political campaigning or voter mobilisation and unlawful interference with an election.
Political parties and political actors routinely attempt to influence voters through alliances, messaging, endorsements and campaign strategies. Such activity is different from altering votes, falsifying result sheets, preventing legitimate votes from being counted or otherwise unlawfully interfering with the electoral process.
Wike’s account describes the G5’s decision as a political strategy intended to reduce Atiku’s electoral advantage in parts of the South-South.
Critics, however, have interpreted his language about deliberately ensuring that Obi won in some areas as evidence of political interference. The interpretation has become part of the wider debate over the conduct of the 2023 election.
The available reporting does not establish that Wike’s remarks, by themselves, constitute an admission that official election results were unlawfully altered.
G5 Strategy and the 2027 Political Landscape
The controversy has also emerged as Nigeria’s political actors begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike has indicated that the political circumstances surrounding the 2023 election have changed and has spoken about strategies aimed at dealing with political opponents ahead of the next presidential contest.
His latest comments therefore carry significance beyond the historical debate over the 2023 election because they provide insight into how one of the country’s most prominent political actors describes the alliances and calculations that shaped the previous presidential contest.
The comments have also renewed scrutiny of the G5’s role and the consequences of the group’s opposition to Atiku within the PDP.
What Happens Next
The controversy is likely to remain part of Nigeria’s political debate as parties and political actors prepare for the 2027 elections.
For readers assessing the competing claims, the distinction between Wike’s description of a political strategy, allegations of electoral manipulation, and the officially declared election results remains important.
Wike has denied rigging the election, while critics continue to question his account of the G5’s activities. The available official results provide the formal electoral record, while claims about what happened behind the scenes require separate evidence.
Weng Global will continue to distinguish documented electoral records from political claims and allegations as further evidence or official responses emerge.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Report of the 2023 General Election — official national presidential results.
- Voice of Nigeria — report on Wike’s September 23, 2026 denial of election-rigging allegations.
- Punch — report on Wike’s explanation of the G5 strategy during the 2023 election.
- Premium Times — report on the declared 2023 Rivers State presidential result and Wike’s challenge to Obi supporters.
- Vanguard — report on Wike’s explanation of the G5 strategy and his political comments.
Meta Description:
Wike has rejected allegations that he rigged the 2023 presidential election, explaining the G5 strategy against Atiku and addressing the controversy over Rivers.
Tags: Nyesom Wike, 2023 Nigerian Election, G5 Governors, Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar,Weng Global,
