The executive governor of Rivers State, Mr Nyesom Wike, has distanced himself from 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 next year’s general election.
Wike also denied removing the symbol of his party, the PDP’s flag from office, saying it’s the height of mischief and propaganda.
Wike, in an exclusive interview with THISDAY, denied ever knowing the lawyers who filed the suit nor commissioned them in the first instance.
Recall that the media in the wee hours of Friday was agog with reports 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.
Reacting to the publication, 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.”