The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has filed a law suit against Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Aminu Tambuwal, the Sokoto State Governor.
Wike is asking the court to declare him the winner of the party’s primary election.
The respondents in suit include: the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku and Tambuwal.
Recall that Tambuwal withdrew from the presidential race at the last minute and urged his supporters to vote for Atiku.
Atiku had won the presidential primaries with 371 votes with Wike trailing after polling 237 votes.
The suit comes as the PDP struggles to unite Atiku and Wike, two if its most influential members..
In a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022, Wike and Newgent Ekamon approached the court over the conduct of the presidential primaries of PDP.
They sought among other reliefs, an order of the court compelling the PDP to recount the votes of the May 28th/ 29th primary election of the party, and an order also directing it to declare Wike as the winner of the election.
In an affidavit in support of the application, the plaintiffs argued that Wike would have emerged the winner of the primary election if Tambuwal’s votes were not transferred to 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),” the affidavits read in part.
They sought the court to determine “Whether Tambuwal, having stepped down during the primaries ought to lose his votes”.
They also sought among other reliefs, “A declaration that the purported transfer of Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku be declared null and void.
“A declaration that the PDP acted negligently and in bad faith by assigning Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku at the primaries”.
They also want the court to order INEC to reject or remove Atiku from “its list of candidates in the 2023 presidential election”.
“An order of the court directing 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”.
Consequently, they asked 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.”
Recently Wike accused Atiku of lying against him, and promised he will reveal the truth to Nigerians in due time although he vowed to remain in the PDP.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
