Atiku Takes Urgent Step as Suit Wants Court to Disqualify Him and Declare Wike as PDP Presidential Candidate
- Atiku, Governor Tambuwal and the PDP have asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit challenging the party's presidential primary for the 2023 elections
- The controversial suit wants Atiku disqualified and Governor Wike declared as the party's presidential candidate
- Atiku and his party, however, asked the court to throw out the suit, saying that it was unknown to law and not cognisable under a pre-election matter
FCT, Abuja - The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal, have asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit challenging the party's presidential primary election.
Although Nyesom Wike was mentioned as one of the plaintiffs in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022, the Rivers state governor had since denied being behind the suit.
Source: Facebook
Among other prayers, the suit wants the court to disqualify Atiku and declare Wike as the PDP presidential candidate.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court has fixed Wednesday, September 14, to hear the controversial suit.
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The suit is frivolous and baseless, Atiku, others react
Atiku, the PDP and Tambuwal described the suit as frivolous, baseless, unwarranted and unknown to law.
A copy of the court processes was obtained by journalists on Wednesday, August 31, The Punch reported.
Legit.ng gathers that the three defendants in their joint objection to the suit predicated their objections on four grounds.
Part of the objections filed on their behalf by Kunle Ajibade (SAN), was that the suit, as filed, was unknown to law and not cognisable under a pre-election matter.
They averred that the first plaintiff, Michael Ekamon, having not participated in the primary election conducted by the National Executive Committee of the PDP, lacked the requisite locus standi to institute the suit.
Atiku, the PDP and Tambuwal also stated that the suit, as brought by the applicants, does not fall within the purview of Section 84 of the Electoral Act, as such does not qualify as a pre-election dispute.
They also argued that the suit was not initiated by due process of the law and therefore, sought an order of the court striking out or dismissing the suit in its entirety for want of jurisdiction.
Wike says Atiku's "group" behind lawsuit
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Governor Wike said it was Atiku's "group" that was behind the lawsuit seeking the removal of the PDP presidential candidate.
Wike said this as he distanced himself from the suit filed to challenge Atiku's candidacy, saying mischief makers were linking it to him.
“People have called me throughout this morning and said all kinds of things that I went to court against Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. I want to say categorically, if I have a reason of going to court, I will go to court, but I didn’t go to court," the governor said.
Source: Legit.ng
