The Publicity Secretary of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, disclosed this after a meeting the socio-political group had with the governor in Port Harcourt. Wike expressed surprise that Ohanaeze was on a fact-finding mission and explained his role in the presidential election.
He noted that the Southern Governors Forum first met at Asaba and agreed that power must shift to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari. The governors later met in Enugu in September 2021 to reaffirm their position. Throughout the meetings, the issue of the presidency to the Southeast was never on the table.
Wike stated that throughout his political adventure, he tried as much as possible to maintain the position of the Southern governors. However, during the PDP presidential primary election, several well-known people of the Southeast betrayed him and sabotaged the Southern interest by voting for a candidate from the northern parts.
He added that his unalloyed commitment to the South motivated him to provide logistics for Obi when he was in Rivers for the presidential campaign. Still, he refused to give even a campaign ground for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of his own Peoples Democratic Party.
Governor Wike further stated that all his decisions concerning the 2023 presidential elections were based on his personal convictions, and he queried if Ohanaeze Ndigbo ever requested him to support Obi.
He emphasised that he did not rig the presidential election against Obi and that some mischief makers were using doctored and false audio and visual materials on the internet to dent his image.
The Ohaneze delegation led by Dr Kingsley Chidozie nominated Barr Peter Aneke to speak on its behalf at the meeting. Aneke thanked Wike for the cordial relationship the Igbo community enjoyed in Rivers and highlighted the friendly relationship between the people of the Southeast of Nigeria and those of Rivers.
He expressed deep sadness that Obi could win in metropolitan Lagos, Abuja, and other places in northern Nigeria, only to record downvotes in Rivers. Aneke added that the delegation was on a fact-finding mission, and the Igbo elders and youths were eager to know why Wike went the extra mile to pull Obi down in Rivers.
He enjoined Wike to imagine what would have been the outcome of the election if the Rivers governor had supported Obi at the election.