Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has challenged supporters of Peter Obi to produce evidence backing their claim that the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate won Rivers State.
Wike, a former governor of the state, dismissed the claim as an assertion based on “imagination”, insisting that the outcome of the election was determined by the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He spoke on Monday during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout, where he was asked about his political support base in Rivers State and the claim by Obi’s supporters, popularly known as Obidients, that their candidate secured victory in the state during the 2023 presidential election.
Responding to the claim, Wike said, “They won by their own imagination. Who did INEC declare to have won?”
The FCT minister also referred to the legal challenges that followed the election, questioning whether Obi’s supporters were able to establish their claim before the election tribunal.
“When they went to the tribunal, were they able to defend their claim?” he asked.
Wike argued that social media narratives should not be confused with officially established electoral results, stressing that he was more concerned with the outcome recorded through the electoral process.
“You can win on social media; I’m not interested in social media winning,” he said.
The former governor also rejected the idea that the result of a presidential election across Rivers State could be determined based on the political atmosphere or voting pattern observed in one part of Port Harcourt.
According to him, Rivers has 23 local government areas, making it necessary to consider results across the state before making a claim about the overall winner.
“You don’t stay in one place in Port Harcourt and say Obi has won,” Wike said.
He subsequently challenged those insisting that Obi won the state to present the official documents supporting their position.
“Let them produce that result sheet that says Obi won,” the minister said.
The disagreement over who actually won Rivers State in the 2023 presidential election has remained part of the wider political debate involving supporters of the major parties and candidates.
Wike’s latest comments also come amid continuing political realignments and disagreements among political actors in Rivers State, particularly as preparations and discussions surrounding future elections intensify.
