Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has rubbished claims that former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi defeated the then All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Tinubu, in the 2023 presidential election.

Mr Wike, in an interview on TVC’s Journalist Hangout on Monday, said the claimed victory of Mr Obi by the Obidient Movement existed only in their imagination and on social media, noting that the only election victories that count are those declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The former Rivers State governor said, “They won by their own imagination. Who did INEC declared to have won? In Rivers State, we have over 7,000 polling units, then you see 50 polling units coming out, Obi has won. They then take it to the bank that Obi has won.

“I’ve always told people, that is not what we’re concerned. What we’re concerned about at the end of the day, out of the over 7,000 polling units results, what do we have? Until that is done, even if 200 polling units have come and they say Obi has won, or Atiku has won, it does not convince me until all the polling units results have come out.

“Shouting Obi has won, that’s their business. My business is that at the end if the day, who did INEC declare as the winner of the election as the votes were conducted according to rules?

“It’s not about you publishing about 10 polling units results, and it goes out that you have won election, when we have over 6,000 polling units remaining. So, let nobody be carried away about that. You can win on social media, I’m not interested in social media winning. I’m interested in practically, the results that are on ground, who was declared?”

Mr Wike also recalled that despite their claim of victory, Mr Obi and the Labour Party failed to tender relevant documents before the Election Petition Tribunal, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court to prove that he won the election, which led to the courts affirming Mr Tinubu’s victory.