PORT HARCOURT — Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that the strategic objective of the G5 Governors during the 2023 presidential election was to systematically redirect votes toward Labour Party candidate Peter Obi in order to undermine former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s electoral prospects.
Speaking during a media interaction in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, the former Rivers State governor offered an insider perspective on the internal power struggle that fractured the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the controversial 2022 presidential primary election.
Wike explained that after the PDP leadership refused to honor the party’s internal zoning convention—which dictated that the presidential ticket rotate to the southern region following the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari—the G5 coalition, comprising five sitting PDP governors, resolved to neutralize Atiku’s campaign. He revealed that the coalition deliberately encouraged votes for Peter Obi across key southern and middle-belt strongholds to ensure Atiku failed to secure the required geographic spread and electoral volume.
The FCT Minister noted that while the G5 governors worked to boost Obi’s popularity in specific regions to split opposition votes, their ultimate structural goal was to ensure power returned to Southern Nigeria, leading to the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Addressing ongoing rumors regarding his future political alignment ahead of the 2027 general elections, Wike reaffirmed his commitment to his current ministerial role, insisting that political decisions within his political network will continue to be guided by equity, fairness, and strategic interest rather than sentimental party loyalty.
