River State Governor Nyesom Wike has denied suing Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar over the outcome of the presidential primary.
Wike stated that he was busy “delivering the dividends of democracy” during his speech at the inauguration of the House of Assembly Quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Wike stated in a Channels TV broadcast on Friday that if he had a reason to go to court, he would have done so.
Wike said, “People have called me this morning that I went to court against Atiku Abubakar. I want to state categorically that if I have reason to go to court, I will go to court, but I didn’t go to court.
Let me I just want to say it for Nigerians to know. I have kept quiet. I am busy with delivering the dividends of democracy, for my party to win election in Rivers State.”
Aminu Tambuwal; and the PDP over the party’s presidential primary, which was held in Abuja on May 28 and 29, 2022.
Wike and a PDP chieftain, Newgent Ekamon, are named as plaintiffs in the FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022 suit. The PDP is listed as the first respondent in the originating summons, while the Independent National Electoral Commission is listed as the second respondent. Tambuwal and Atiku are ranked third and fourth, respectively.
When aspirants were asked to address delegates during the PDP presidential primary, Tambuwal asked them to vote for him, only to return moments later to ask them to vote for Atiku.
Atiku received 371 votes in the primary, while Wike and Bukola Saraki received 237 and 70 votes, respectively. Following the convention, PDP National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu referred to Tambuwal as the “hero of the convention.”
Wike and his co-applicant asked the court to rule on eight issues, including whether the PDP’s purported transfer of Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku was illegal and void.
However, Wike denied the suit on Friday, claiming that if he had wanted to sue, he would have done so within two weeks of the primary.
Wike said, “If I were going to court, I would have gone to court within two weeks after the primary because it is a pre-election matter and after two weeks, you can’t go to court,” adding that he did not know the lawyers that were mentioned in the said suit.
