Those That Will Make Atiku Win Or Lose The Election – Wike; Disagrees With Ayu Over Suit Against PDP, Atiku, Tambuwal

By Adesina Soyooye

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said that those around the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will be responsible for either his victory or failure at the 2023 Presidential polls.

Wike said this in a statement in reaction to a suit purportedly filed by him and one other at an Abuja High Court, seeking to disqualify Atiku, and declaring him, Wike, the Party’s Presidential candidate.

Wike and one Newgent Ekemon  were listed as plaintiffs in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022.

In the originating summons,  PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,  Atiku and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State  were listed as first, second third and fourth respondents respectively.

However, in a statement  issued on Friday by his media aide,Kelvin Ebiri, Governor Wike denied knowledge of the suit. He said he neither instituted  it, nor aware of it. Instead, Wike accused Atiku’s loyalists of being responsible for the court case. He said they initiated it, an allegation Atiku has dismissed as ridiculous.

Wike’s allegation, also, runs contrary to that of the National Chairman  of the Party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, who accused the ruling Party at the centre, the All Progressives Congress, APC, of being behind the suit seeking Atiku’s disqualification.

Here’s what Wike said on Friday in the release:

“People have called me throughout this morning and said all kinds of things that I went to court against Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. I want to say categorically, if I have a reason to go to court, I will go to court, but I didn’t go to court.

“Yesterday too, they said I removed all PDP flags at Rivers State Government House. But I just have to say these things for Nigerians to know that I have kept quiet, and I’m busy delivering dividends of democracy for my party to win election in Rivers State.

“But I want to tell the candidate:  it is the candidate’s group that are doing all these things. Let the world hear, they are the ones plotting all these things, thinking that they will spoil my name; they cannot.

“I didn’t go to court; I have no reason to go to court. But those of you who are plotting and saying that I went to court, for you to have come out now to say Wike went to court, I say shame on you. Shame will be on all of you.

‘’I have told the candidate, you will win or lose this election because of the people around you. Anybody who knows me knows too well that if I was 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.’’

“The Legal Adviser of the party called me and told me that he knows that there is mischief going on. But that he knows me very well, if I’m going to court, it is not those kinds of lawyers that I would have used and I don’t even know the lawyers.”

Wike advised Atiku to focus on big and more important issues – how to win election –  instead of focusing on frivolities.

Wike: “You’re supposed to be talking about how you will win the election. All these rent seekers around him are not doing him any favour. Rather, they are trying to prevent him from winning the election. But if that is what they wish, I wish them good luck.

“You see that I am not talking. I am doing my work, so leave me to do my work. Those concocting ideas everyday; social media cannot make you win elections.

“Election is about the people and by the people. Let those in Abuja with you (Atiku); tell them to go home and campaign for you to win the election. Leave Wike alone, enough is enough.”

The Governor also identified those planning against him in Abuja. He said it was some Governors, wasting their time, concocting allegations against him instead of planning how to win the 2023 election.

Wike: ‘’When I see people talking about PDP today, I say to myself what is going on in this world. In the South-South, they all betrayed us. President Muhammadu Buhari wouldn’t have won the 2019 election because he won’t have had the spread.

“But all the States in the South-South made Buhari to have 25 percent. It was only Rivers State that did not give Buhari 25 percent; I am challenging anybody on it,”

But Atiku has faulted Wike’s claims that the suit was instituted by his loyalists, and dismissed it as ridiculous.

Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe in his response to Wike challenged Wike to show evidence. He reasoned: ‘’Why will the candidate of a party go to the extent of instigating a suit against anybody? It does not make sense. Since he (Wike) is making the allegations, he has to provide evidence.

“We are committed to the process for the resolutions of the issues. It is important that we do that for the good of the party, for the unity and cohesion of the party and for the good of Nigerians who are looking up to the PDP as the major opposition party to wrestle power from the APC and turn around the broken social, economic and political  fabric. We remain committed to that process.”

But National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, exonerated both Atiku and Wike of responsibility in the suit. He put it on the table of the APC.

In a statement on Friday by the Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Simon Imobo-Tswam, Ayu

“His Excellency, Gov. Nyesom Wike never took the party to court. It is the APC that did it. The first name in the case is a coordinator of the presidential candidate of the APC.

“We know very well that they don’t believe they can win any election. They have decided to divide you. But don’t let any APC manipulation divide you.

“They are the ones sponsoring false stories of the crisis in PDP. PDP has no crisis, it is a united party.

“Anyone who thinks they can come and brew a crisis here is deceiving himself. They should wait for us till next year. In February, we will show them that they are the ones with crises.

“I want to make this clear before people start saying: ‘Oh, Wike took the party to court.’  Wike is a strong party man.

“And I am happy that he came out immediately to deny that he took the party to court. And very soon, the truth will be revealed because it’s a criminal thing.”

The crisis in the PDP reared its head at the Presidential Primary of the Party when Atiku beat Wike to a second place to pick the ticket.

Wike stormed out of the venue because of what he saw as a betrayal. His valid reasoning was that Atiku was not qualified to contest as the Presidential contest ought to have been left for the South, especially, as the National Chairman, Ayu, is a Northerner.

The relationship worsened when Atiku picked Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate instead of Wike who came tops, according to the screening Committee which was set up to chose Atiku’s running mate.

Since then, there has been bad blood between Atiku and Wike. The Governor has given PDP activities a wide berth abs has refused to be pacified. It s gathered that one of his conditions for peace is: “Ayu must step down as the National Chairman for a Southerner, since Atiku, a Northerner is the Presidential candidate.

Not a few people see it as a legitimate request.