Aisha Yesufu accuses Wike of lying after the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, claimed that the G5 governors deliberately allowed Peter Obi to win votes in parts of the South-South during the 2023 presidential election.
Mr Wike said the strategy aimed to reduce the votes of Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate at the time.
He made the claim during an interview on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday.
According to Mr Wike, the G5 governors considered the PDP’s strength in the South-South a potential advantage for Mr Atiku. They therefore agreed to allow Mr Obi, who contested for the Labour Party, to win in some states.
Mr Wike specifically mentioned Edo and Cross River.
He also said Rivers State was excluded from the strategy because the group did not want Mr Obi to win there.
The former Rivers governor was one of five PDP governors who formed the G5 before the 2023 election. The group also included Seyi Makinde, Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu.
However, Aisha Yesufu challenged the account.
In a post on X on Wednesday, the NDC chieftain questioned the level of political influence Mr Wike claimed the G5 possessed during the election.
She pointed to the 2023 Senate elections involving three members of the G5 who contested for seats in the National Assembly.
Ms Yesufu argued that the three candidates lost their Senate contests despite the elections taking place on the same day as the presidential poll.
She used the results to question how the governors could have exercised the level of electoral influence Mr Wike described.
Mr Wike has previously acknowledged Mr Obi’s strong performance in parts of the region. In March 2023, he also described Mr Obi as his “hero” and said Obi’s candidacy helped ensure that presidential power moved to the South.
The latest exchange has therefore reopened debate about the role played by the G5 in the 2023 presidential election and the extent of its influence over voting patterns in the South-South.
