The ongoing leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Tuesday when its National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, clashed inside a Federal High Court in Abuja over who should appoint lawyers to represent the party in a pending case.
The disagreement occurred during a hearing of a suit filed by three PDP members—Austin Nwachukwu from Imo, Amah Abraham Nnanna from Abia, and Turnah Alabh George from the South-South.
The plaintiffs are seeking an order to stop the party’s planned National Convention scheduled to take place in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16.Tension started when Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chris Uche, announced that he was representing the PDP with a letter of authorization signed by the National Chairman.
Ajibade objected, arguing that as the party’s Legal Adviser, he alone has the constitutional authority to appoint legal representation for the party in any court matter.The disagreement caused confusion in the courtroom, forcing Justice James Omotosho to pause the session for ten minutes and instruct both officials to settle their differences outside.
However, after a brief meeting, they returned without resolving the issue. Uche then asked the court for a short adjournment to allow more consultations, while counsel for the plaintiffs, Joseph Daudu, urged the court to continue with the hearing if the PDP officials failed to reach an agreement.
The judge later adjourned the matter till Thursday, October 16, for continuation of the hearing. Justice Omotosho also approved applications from Senior Advocates Paul Erokoro and Audu Anuga to include Umar Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi as additional defendants in the suit, stating that they were necessary parties who might be affected by the court’s decision.
The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Daudu, objected to the inclusion, claiming his clients had not sought reliefs against the new defendants, but the court ruled in favor of their joinder.The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other top PDP officials were already listed as defendants in the case.
The suit adds to the growing internal conflict within the PDP, which has been struggling with divisions, defections, and disputes among its leaders ahead of the national convention expected to usher in new party executives.