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 2023 general election.
Reports had emerged on Thursday that Wike and a chieftain of the PDP, Mr Newgent Ekamon, had dragged the PDP 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 undue advantage on Atiku which aided his emergence as the candidate of the PDP in the May 28 and 29 primary.
But the Rivers State governor who spoke to ThisDay on Friday, denied ever knowing the lawyers who filed the suit nor commissioned them in the first instance.
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 that, “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 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 winner of the presidential primary election having scored 371 votes.
Wike was declared the first runners up with 237 votes, while the 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.
