Wike Asks Court to Nullify Atiku’s Victory At PDP Presidential Primaries

More complications are raring heads in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party has Rivers State governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike has dragged its presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to court saying his victory was fraudulent.
Records at the Federal High Court Abuja showed that Wike, along with another party member, Michael Ekamon, filed the lawsuit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022.
Both Wike and Ekamon have been listed as the plaintiffs.
The PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), governor of Sokoto State Aminu Tambuwal and Atiku are listed as the 1st to 4th respondents, respectively.
In his prater, Wike asked the court to determine if Tambuwal lost his claim to votes when he stepped down for Atiku.
They also asked the court to determine whether Tambuwal “having stepped down during the primaries, ought to lose his votes”.
The plaintiffs argued that should these issues be determined in their favour, the court should grant nine reliefs, including a declaration that the purported transfer of Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku be declared null and void.
In addition, they seek a declaration that the PDP acted negligently and in bad faith by assigning the Sokoto governor’s votes to Atiku at the primary.
They prayed the court to cancel the transfer of votes as Tambuwal’s withdrawal in the primary was done after voting had commenced.
The applicants also prayed the court to declare that the PDP and Atiku took undue advantage of Tambuwal’s withdrawal when they allowed the Sokoto governor to persuade delegates to vote for the former Vice President in the primary.
Wike and Ekamon asked the court to order INEC to reject or remove Atiku from “its list of candidates in the 2023 presidential election”.
They are also seeking an order commanding the PDP’s primary held on May 28 and 29, 2022.
Also, the applicants are seeking 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 primary with a corresponding order directing the 1st respondent (PDP) to forward his name as the candidate to contest the presidential election in 2023”.