FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has flatly rejected claims by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and his "Obidient" movement that they won the 2023 presidential election in Rivers State. Speaking on TVC's Journalists Hangout programme on Monday, Wike said the supposed victory existed only in their imagination and on social media.
Wike insisted that election outcomes are decided at polling units and announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), not determined by crowd noise or selective results. He made the remarks while responding to questions about the strength of his political base in Rivers State, as reported by Vanguard.
Wike Challenges Obi's Tribunal Record
"They won in their imagination. I have always told people: they won in their imagination. Nobody declared them to have won. I have been in this system; I am in this game. When Obi went to the Timber Market or somewhere in Rivers State and they were shouting 'Obi! Obi!', is that how you win an election?" Wike said.
The minister also dismissed claims of victory based on results from a handful of polling units, noting that Rivers State has more than 7,000 polling units spread across its 23 local government areas. "Out of over 7,000 polling units, until all results have come in, even if 200 polling units come out and say Obi or Atiku has won, it does not convince me," he said.
Wike challenged Obi's supporters to show what they proved before the election tribunal, saying social media victories do not count. "They went to the tribunal, were they able to tender or prove to the court that they won the election? You can win on social media, but I am not interested in social media winning. I am interested practically in the results on the ground, who won, and who was declared," he added.
Wike Dismisses Obi and Atiku as Threats in Rivers
Wike also made clear that he does not consider either Obi or Peoples Democratic Party candidate Atiku Abubakar a political threat to him in Rivers State, insisting that neither man could defeat him there. His comments come amid continued debate over the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, in which Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress was declared the winner by INEC.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that Wike publicly named three APC governors he said have been fighting him over the Rainbow Coalition. Wike made the claim during his appearance on Journalists' Hangout on TVC on Monday, September 21, 2026. The minister also named five state governors he said have no issues with the Rainbow Coalition.
