The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education has called for an investigation into the claims by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on the alleged strategy adopted by the five aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party governors during the 2023 presidential election.
The Executive Director of CHRICED, Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, in a statement issued on Thursday, said Wike’s disclosure raised serious questions about the extent to which political actors may have influenced electoral outcomes in some states.
Wike, who was Governor of Rivers State and a member of the G5 during the 2023 election, disclosed during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on September 21 that the group deliberately allowed Labour Party candidate Peter Obi to win in Edo and Cross River states as part of a strategy to reduce the electoral advantage of the then PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
According to Zikirullahi, the disclosure was troubling because it appeared to suggest that political calculations by powerful actors could have influenced how votes were distributed during a presidential election.
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“The statement attributed to the FCT Minister raises fundamental questions about the sanctity of the ballot and the ability of citizens to freely determine electoral outcomes,” Zikirullahi said.
Wike had explained that the G5 considered the PDP particularly strong in the South-South and regarded Atiku as the major beneficiary of the party’s strength in the region.
He said, “In Edo, PDP is stronger in the South-South. Our problem will be Atiku. Therefore, instead of Atiku to take it, let it go to the Labour Party. That was our strategy. Cross River, the same thing. That’s what we did.”
The minister also said Rivers was treated differently because the group believed an Obi victory in the state would send a significant political signal.
“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.’ And we stopped…we stopped it,” Wike said.
Though, the FCT Minister later dismissed the impression of him getting involved in the electoral malpractices.
Reacting, the CHRICED Executive Director said the matter should not be dismissed as ordinary political rhetoric.
“Whether these comments were made as political strategy, political bravado or a description of what actually happened, they require clarification because elections belong to the people and not to political alliances,” Zikirullahi said.
He said any suggestion that governors or political blocs could determine which presidential candidate would win or lose in a state should concern Nigerians and electoral institutions.
Zikirullahi therefore called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Assembly and other relevant oversight institutions to examine the claims and determine whether any actions by political actors compromised the 2023 electoral process.
“INEC and other relevant institutions owe Nigerians an explanation on whether there were attempts by political actors to interfere with the electoral process and, if so, whether such actions violated any provision of the law,” he said.
The CHRICED Executive Director also urged Wike and the other members of the former G5 to clarify what they meant by “allowing” Obi to win in some states and “stopping” him from winning Rivers.
“The Nigerian people deserve to know whether this was merely a political calculation or whether there were concrete actions, directives or coordinated activities aimed at influencing voters or electoral outcomes,” Zikirullahi said.
The G5 comprised Wike, then Rivers governor; Seyi Makinde of Oyo; Samuel Ortom of Benue; Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia; and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu. The group opposed Atiku’s presidential candidacy and demanded that the PDP presidential ticket be zoned to the South.
Zikirullahi said the controversy also underscored the need to strengthen safeguards ahead of the 2027 elections.
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“Whatever lessons we draw from the 2023 election, the priority must be to ensure that no governor, minister, political party or political alliance can determine electoral outcomes outside the lawful process,” he said.
He called on INEC, political parties, civil society organisations and the media to intensify voter education, particularly on voting, counting, collation, transmission and declaration of results.
“The vote of every Nigerian must remain the property of that voter. It cannot become the bargaining instrument of political powerbrokers,” Zikirullahi said.
He further urged relevant security and law-enforcement agencies to examine any credible evidence of electoral infractions arising from the disclosure and take appropriate action where the law had been breached.
“The 2027 elections must not be approached as another contest of political calculations. They must be conducted in a manner that gives citizens confidence that their votes will be counted and that the declared results will reflect the lawful electoral process,” he said.
Meanwhile, Wike has rejected allegations that his comments amounted to an admission of rigging the 2023 presidential election. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the FCT Minister described claims that he rigged the election in favour of President Bola Tinubu against Obi as a “baseless narrative propagated primarily on social media.”
Zikirullahi said the minister’s clarification should not prevent the relevant institutions from seeking further facts.
He urged political actors to respect the independence of electoral institutions and allow Nigerians to freely choose their representatives.
“The ballot belongs to the people. Political actors may compete, negotiate and form alliances, but they must not substitute their calculations for the will of the electorate,” Zikirullahi said.