Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Friday said he did not go to court or ask anyone to file a suit on his behalf over the presidential primary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in which former vice president Atiku Abubakar emerged as the presidential candidate of the party.
Wike spoke in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital while reacting to reports that he sued Atiku, the PDP and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal over the party’s presidential primary.
Wike came second in the primary won by Atiku after Tambuwal stepped down urged delegates from his state to vote for the former vice president during the exercise.
While the Rivers State Governor has been bitter over the outcome of the primary, a report on Friday indicated that he had filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to be declared the PDP’s presidential candidate for the 2023 election.
According to the report, Wike had asked the court to determine if Tambuwal the PDP acted negligently and in bad faith by assigning the Sokoto governor’s votes to Atiku at the primary.
But Wike blamed those in Atiku’s camp for the report on the suit.
“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.”
He said he had called Atiku to warn him that he will win or lose the 2023 election because of the people around him.
Wike also 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.”