Wike: I didn’t authorise suit challenging Atiku’s ticket

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has distanced himself from a suit filed to challenge the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023.

A suit had been filed to challenge the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; and the PDP over the presidential primary of the party.

• Atiku, Wike’s dispute stalls composition of PDP campaign council
• Amaechi’s ally defects to PDP amid Wike’s alliance with APC Chieftains

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022, a PDP chieftain, Newgent Ekamon, contended that Governor Aminu Tambuwal breached the primary which was held in Abuja on May 28 and 29, 2022.

Ekamon contended that during the PDP presidential primary, when aspirants were asked to address delegates, Tambuwal had asked them to vote for him only to return moments later to ask them to vote for Atiku.

At the primary, Atiku polled 371 votes while Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Bukola Saraki garnered 237 and 70 votes respectively. After the convention, the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, described Tambuwal as the “hero of the convention.”

The suit asked the court to determine eight issues including whether the purported transfer of Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku by the PDP was illegal and void.

But in a chat with THISDAY, Wike denied knowing anything about the suit and the lawyers who filed it, describing it as the handiwork of mischief makers.

“I don’t know anything about the so called suit. I did not ask anyone to file any suit for me.”

“I don’t know the lawyers. Am I a kid to be filing a suit at this time? I had 14 days after the primary within which to have filed any suit. I didn’t do that then, is it two months after primary I will file a suit?”