Wike names Obi hero of 2023 presidential election

RIVERS State Governor Nyesom Wike has described the Labour Party (LP) candidate Peter Obi as the hero of the February 25 presidential election.

He said power would have remained in the North had Obi not contested the election.

The governor spoke at a meeting with groups of marketers comprising the Technical Dealers Association of Nigeria, Computer Dealers Association, Garrison Phone Dealers Association and Building Materials Traders Association in Port Harcourt on Saturday, March 11.

According to a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, Wike said there was hope for Obi to become the nation’s president through the court. 

The governor argued that contrary to insinuation that he did not support Obi, the LP candidate was his hero of the poll.

“Obi is my hero. If Obi did not contest, power would have gone back to the North. The whole of South-South and South-East that PDP lost, if Obi did not contest, PDP would have won.”

He added: “The hero in this election is Obi, whether you like it or not. I am not here to please you; Obi is the hero. He may not have been pronounced as the winner, no problem, the law will take its course.”

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Whether Obi is declared the winner now or not, history would be on Obi’s side that he fought and fought well, Wike stated.

Wike said he did not publicly declare support for any presidential candidate because the PDP G-5 governors had unanimously agreed to ensure the emergence of a president from southern Nigeria to succeed President Buhari.

Governor Wike said members of the G-5 governors worked for power to return to the South.

The ICIR reports that despite being a PDP chieftain, neither Wike’s PDP nor Obi’s LP won in Rivers State. The All Progressives Party (APC) won.

The ICIR reported how the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared APC’s candidate, Bola Tinubu, the winner with 8,794,726 votes.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and PDP candidate came second with 6,984,520 votes, while Peter Obi got 6,101,533 votes and took third.

Former KanoRabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) followed Obi with 1,496,687 votes.

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14 other candidates got fewer votes at the poll.

While the LP and PDP are challenging Tinubu’s victory, the president-elect is expected to be sworn in as president on May 29, when President Muhammadu Buhari’s two terms of four years apiece end.

The ICIR reported the LP’s planned nationwide protest for Monday, March 13, over INEC’s alleged refusal to allow the party to have access to the materials used for the presidential election.

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Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He’s a good governance and decent society advocate. He’s the ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org.