Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, has filed a lawsuit against the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, the governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, and the Peoples Democratic Party over the way the presidential primary was handled.
See Why Wike is Suing Presidential Candidate Atiku & Aminu Tambuwal
Wike and his co-applicant are asking the court to rule on eight matters, including whether the PDP’s alleged transfer of Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku was invalid and unconstitutional.
Additionally, the plaintiffs want the court to decide whether Tambuwal lost his right to vote once he resigned in favour of Atiku.
If these disputes are resolved in their favour, Wike and Ekamon claimed, the court should give nine reliefs, including a ruling that the supposed transfer of Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku is unlawful.
In addition, the plaintiffs are asking for a ruling that the PDP committed negligence and bad faith when it gave Atiku the governor of Sokoto’s primary vote.
They are asking the court to nullify the vote transfer, and a related ruling prohibiting Tambuwal from withdrawing from the primary race was made after voting had begun.
The applicants further requested that the court rule that the PDP and Atiku abused the situation created by Tambuwal’s withdrawal by allowing the governor of Sokoto to influence delegates’ primary voting decisions in favor of the former Vice President.
Wike and Ekamon requested that the court order INEC to strike Atiku’s name off “its list of candidates in the 2023 presidential election” or to reject him outright.
Additionally, they are asking for a court order directing the PDP to recount the votes from the May 28 and May 29 primaries.
The applicants also ask the court to issue an order “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”
Ekamon mentioned his membership in the PDP and attested to Wike’s victory in the presidential election in a supporting document to which he gave his deposition.
He maintained that Tambuwal withdrew from the race after voting had begun and instructed that his supporters cast their ballots for Atiku.
The lawsuit comes as Atiku and Wike, two of the PDP’s most important members, battle to cooperate.
With 371 votes, Atiku defeated Wike in the presidential primary, leaving Wike in second place with 237 votes.
After being passed over for the vice-presidency candidate position, an unhappy Wike’s differences with the other man grew even worse.
Wike has asserted that Atiku has been lying about him despite his pledge to stay in the PDP.
In the interim, Atiku has pledged to bring the party together in advance of the 2020 presidential election.
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