AfriPulse
The leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a dramatic turn on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the party’s National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), openly disagreed over who has the authority to appoint legal representation for the party.
The disagreement played out during the hearing of a suit filed by three aggrieved PDP members seeking to stop the party’s planned national convention scheduled for November 15–16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Damagum, who was physically present in court, had authorized Chief Chris Uche (SAN) to represent the PDP. However, Ajibade objected, insisting that only the office of the Legal Adviser is empowered by the party’s constitution to appoint counsel on behalf of the PDP.
Their clash prompted Justice James Omotosho to suspend proceedings for ten minutes to allow both officials to reconcile. Upon their return, the two could not reach an agreement, forcing the court to adjourn the hearing to Thursday, October 16.
Meanwhile, the court granted applications to join Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi as the 7th, 8th, and 9th defendants in the case. The judge ruled that the trio are necessary parties whose roles in the PDP leadership would be directly affected by the case’s outcome.
The plaintiffs in the suit—Imo PDP Chairman Hon. Austin Nwachukwu, Abia PDP Chairman Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna, and PDP South-South Secretary Turnah Alabh George—had approached the court to halt the planned convention to elect new national officers.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP, and key party officials including National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and National Organizing Secretary Umar Bature are listed as defendants in the suit.
Source: PoliticsNigeria | Read the Full Story…
