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The absence of Wilfred Okoi, counsel for the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in a suit challenging the validity of the candidacy of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general election, on Wednesday, stalled hearing in the suit at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Okoi was in court earlier in the day and was said to have suddenly developed sickness and had to hurriedly leave the courtroom.
A PDP chieftain, Newgent Ekamon, who instituted the suit alongside Wike informed Justice Ramat Mohammed that the lawyer had to leave when his health challenges deteriorated.
Ekamon pleaded with the judge to grant adjournment in view of the development.
The PDP National Legal Adviser, Adeyemi Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), did not object to the request for adjustment on the ground that anybody could fall sick at any time.
Justice Mohammed subsequently fixed October 7 for hearing of the suit.
Wike had sued the PDP, its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar; the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, over the conduct of the presidential primary of the party held in Abuja on May 28 and May 29, 2022.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022, Wike and the PDP chieftain Newgent Ekamon are the two plaintiffs.
The PDP was listed in the originating summons as the first respondent while the Independent National Electoral Commission was named the second respondent.
Tambuwal and Atiku are listed as the 3rd and 4th respondents respectively.
In the originating summons, Wike and his co-applicant 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.
The plaintiffs asked the court to determine if Tambuwal lost his claim to votes the moment he stepped down for Atiku.
They asked the court to determine whether Tambuwal “having stepped down during the primary, ought to lose his votes.”
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