August 12, (THEWILL) – Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has disowned a purported suit said to have been filed by him, seeking the removal of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections.
Wike, who spoke to ThisDay on Friday, denied ever knowing the lawyers who filed the suit nor commissioned them in the first instance.
Reports had emerged that Wike and a chieftain of the PDP, Newgent Ekamon, had dragged the Peoples Democratic Party to court seeking the removal of Atiku as the candidate of the PDP in next year’s presidential poll.
According to the purported suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022, the plaintiffs were said to have hinged their claims on the grounds that the PDP primary conferred an undue advantage on Atiku, which aided his emergence as the candidate of the PDP in the May 28 and 29 primary.
Reacting to the publication, Wike, who expressed surprise over the suit, said to have been filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, described the suit as the handiwork of mischief makers who merely want to use him to score cheap political goals.
While stating, “I don’t know the lawyers”, Wike said: “Am I a kid to be filing a suit at this time? I had 14 days within which to file any suit. I didn’t, then is it two months after I will file a suit?”
He also recalled that: “Just a few days ago, they came up with the claim that I ordered my chief security officer to pull down PDP’s flag in my office.
“This is all propaganda. Some people are trying to use me to win the election.”
Meanwhile, he has threatened legal action against the publication of the suit, as he has nothing to do with it.
The PDP had declared Atiku the winner of the presidential primary election having scored 371 votes.
Wike was declared the first runner-up with 237 votes, while former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, garnered 70 votes.
Although Wike has expressed dissatisfaction over the outcome of the primary, he has, however, consistently maintained his membership of the PDP, adding that he would continue to remain loyal to the party.
