Wike denies suing Atiku, PDP

    Wike denies suing Atiku, PDP

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has denied reports that he sued the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The governor said he did not go to court neither did he ask anyone to file a suit on his behalf.

He also said reports of the suit emanated from Atiku’s people.

He made the comments in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Friday during the official commissioning of some projects in the state.

He was reacting to reports that he sued Atiku, the PDP and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, who was a presidential aspirant at the party’s primary.

Mr Tambuwal had stepped down during the primary and urged delegates from his state to vote Atiku – an act which aided Atiku’s victory and stirred crisis in the party and a rift between Mr Wike and the presidential candidate.

It was reported how Mr Wike, in the suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, sought the court’s pronouncement declaring him the PDP’s presidential candidate for the 2023 election.

He also asked the court to determine if Mr Tambuwal lost his claim to votes when he stepped down. He also asked the court to declare that the PDP acted negligently and in bad faith by assigning the Sokoto governor’s votes to Atiku at the primary.

While he denied suing Messrs Atiku, Tambuwal and the PDP, Mr Wike said mischevious people in Atiku’s camp had produced the report.

“I want to state categorically that if I wanted to go to court, I will go to court. I have kept quiet and busy delivering dividends of democracy.If I wanted to, I would have gone to court within two weeks after primary. Because that is pre-election matter.

“It is the candidate’s group doing all these. And they’re not doing him any favour. But I wish them good luck.”

The governor recalled that he called Atiku and said he (Atiku) will win or lose the 2023 election because of the people around him.

He further warned the people “behind the suit to let him be and allow peace to reign, even as he urged Atiku to caution “his people.”

“Tell those supporting you to go and commission projects to win their states…I have no reason to go to court. Those of you who put my name, shame will be on you. Leave Wike alone.”

Mr Wike’s denial to the suit comes amid plans to reconcile him and Atiku.

The two had fallen apart after the primary and Mr Wike was further aggrieved after Atiku named Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the party’s vice-presidential candidate.

Although the two have men met physically for the first time in months, this paper understands that the governor is asking that the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, be removed and the National Working Committee be reshuffled.