Wike Claims Peter Obi's Camp is Targeting Him Over 2023 Election Refusal

 

Former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that Peter Obi's camp is now in conflict with him due to his decision not to align with them ahead of the 2023 general elections. Wike revealed that Obi and his supporters made significant efforts to convince him to join their campaign, but he declined, believing Obi had little chance of winning.

Speaking during an event in Port Harcourt, Wike explained that he was not willing to "waste" the votes of Rivers State on a candidate he deemed unlikely to succeed. He said, “Peter Obi’s group lobbied me so much. They cannot deny it. And I said, ‘look, this one won’t fly.’ Rivers State will not vote where it’s not going to fly. There’s also a gang up, and I say, ‘look, enough is enough.’ They want to fight us back. They’re fighting themselves.”

This comes amid accusations of widespread rigging during the 2023 presidential election, particularly in Rivers State, where there were reports of alleged vote manipulation in favor of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate. Claims of political thuggery and vote-buying also surfaced, with some alleging that Wike played a role in swaying voters to support specific candidates.

Despite these controversies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu the winner, as he garnered the highest number of votes, with Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi of the Labour Party each winning 12 states.