UPDATED: PDP crisis worsens over suit challenging Atiku’s presidential ticket

A suit has been filed to challenge the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; and the PDP over the presidential primary of the party. In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022, a PDP chieftain, Newgent Ekamon, contended that Tambuwal breached the primary which was held in Abuja on […]

A suit has been filed to challenge the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; and the PDP over the presidential primary of the party.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022, a PDP chieftain, Newgent Ekamon, contended that Tambuwal breached the primary which was held in Abuja on May 28 and 29, 2022.

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Ekamon contended that during the PDP presidential primary, when aspirants were asked to address delegates, Tambuwal had asked them to vote for him only to return moments later to ask them to vote for Atiku.

At the primary, Atiku polled 371 votes while Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Bukola Saraki garnered 237 and 70 votes respectively. After the convention, the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, described Tambuwal as the “hero of the convention.”

The suit asked the court to determine eight issues including whether the purported transfer of Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku by the PDP was illegal and void.

Ekamon asked the court to determine if Tambuwal lost his claim to votes the moment he stepped down for Atiku.

In a supporting affidavit he deposed to, Ekamon noted that he was a member of the PDP and attested to the fact that Wike won the presidential election.

He maintained that Tambuwal withdrew from the contest after voting had commenced and directed that his votes be assigned to Atiku.

The case was said to have been filed in June and parties served.

The development comes amid efforts of the opposition party to reconcile Wike and Atiku ahead of the 2023 election.

After losing out at the primary, Wike had indicated interest in the Vice-Presidential slot of the PDP, but Atiku settled for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.

Shortly after this, Wike started hobnobbing with chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC).