Wike Sues PDP, Questions Atiku’s Candidacy, Seeks PDP Ticket

By Uche Mbah

The PDP crisis has taken a new dimension as the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has sued the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; and the PDP over the result of the presidential primary elections by the party.

On May 28 and May 29, 2022, the party elected Atiku as their flag bearer that left Wike aggrieved.

He also lost out as the Vice Presidential candidate to Atiku.

Wike filed a joint suit with a chieftain of the party Newgent Ekamon.

He listed the PDP as the first respondent while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the 2nd respondent. Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal and Abubakar are listed as the 3rd and 4th respondents respectively.

Wike asked the court to determine whether Tambuwal stepping down for Abubakar amounts to the loss of his votes, rendering vote transfer to Atiku as null and void.

In an eight point prayer that serve as part of the originating summon, Wike is seeking for nine reliefs, including nullification of Tambuwal’s votes.

Condemning the PDP position as negligent and in bad faith since Tambuwal stepped down after voting commenced, they prayed the court to “cancel the transfer of votes and a corresponding order restraining the 3rd respondent (Tambuwal’s) withdrawal in the primary was done after voting had commenced.”Subsequent upon this, the Court should remove the name of Atiku as a Presidential Candidate and recount the votes and declare Wike Winner.

At the primary, Atiku polled 371 votes, Wike polled 237 and Bukola Saraki garnered 70 votes.

Wike, therefore, asked the court to direct“the 1st respondent (PDP) to declare the 2nd applicant (Wike), a presidential aspirant in the May 28 and May 29 primary as the winner of the aforesaid primary with a corresponding order directing the 1st respondent (PDP) to forward his name as the candidate to contest the presidential election in 2023.”

Ekamon, on his part, said he was a member of the PDP and that he is attesting to the fact that Wike won the presidential election.

“The third respondent (Tambuwal) speaking twice before stepping down from the contest, persuaded all his delegates who were going to vote for him to vote for the 4th respondent (Atiku).

“The 1st (PDP) and 4th (Atiku) respondents who also wanted the votes desperately agreed with the 3rd (Tambuwal) and assigned 3rd (Tambuwal) respondent’s votes to the 4th (Atiku) respondent and increased his votes to win the 2nd applicant (Wike).

“The 2nd applicant (Wike) won the primaries if the votes of the 3rd respondent (Tambuwal) had not been transferred or assigned to the 4th respondent (Atiku)”, he said.

The National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, later described Tambuwal as the “hero of the convention.”

Wike had recently met with Atiku with a view to resolve the knotty issue, but it appears the peace deal has collapsed. Only recently, Wike had removed all PDP flags from his office. In a swift move, the PDP had removed him as the leader of the party in Rivers State.