Wike explains 2023 South-South strategy, rejects claims of electoral rigging

Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has dismissed allegations that he manipulated the 2023 presidential election in the South-South region to benefit President Bola Tinubu over Labour Party candidate Peter Obi. He described the claims as "baseless narratives propagated primarily on social media." In response to accusations that he altered result sheets to favor Tinubu, Wike questioned how such a widespread operation could have taken place across numerous polling units.

He also dismissed conclusions drawn from limited polling units and emphasized that social media does not determine election outcomes. Wike explained that the G5 governors adopted a strategy to prevent then-PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar from gaining the party's traditional strength in the South-South, allowing Obi to benefit from votes in some areas.

He maintained that the strategy was based on political realities rather than influences attributed to Obi on social media. Wike dismissed the notion that an election could be manipulated in areas where a candidate lacked grassroots support, emphasizing that trying to rig an election in such areas would lead to negative consequences.