PDP Crisis: National Chair, Legal Adviser Engage in Open Power Struggle in Court

•Battle is over move to stop convention

•PDP postpones 103rd NEC meeting

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The crisis of confidence rocking Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new dimension yesterday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, as National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagu, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, openly disagreed in court.

At the hearing of a suit seeking to stop the planned National Convention of the party, instituted by three aggrieved members, Damagum and Ajibade battled for several minutes over who had the power to appoint a lawyer to represent the party.

While Damagum, who was physically present in court, in a letter he personally signed, mandated Chris Uche, SAN, to represent PDP in the legal action, Ajibade, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), insisted that he was the only authority that could appoint legal representation for PDP.

When the matter was called before Justice James Omotosho, Joseph Daudu, SAN, announced appearance for the three plaintiffs, namely, Hon. Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP chairman), Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman), and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-south).

Trouble, however, started when Uche, with more than five other SANs, announced their appearance for PDP, a move that was immediately countered by Ajibade, who also announced his appearance for the party.

In the drama that ensued, Uche informed Omotosho that he had a letter from the PDP national chairman appointing him to represent the party in the suit. Ajibade replied that he was the sole authority vested with power by the PDP constitution to appoint legal representation for the party and cited some judgements to that effect.

Visibly taken aback by the development, Omotosho stood down the hearing of the matter for 10 minutes for the national chairman and the national legal adviser to go out of the court to put their house in order.

After the 10 minutes, the two parties reported that they were unable to reconcile on legal representation, prompting Uche to seek a short adjournment to enable Damagum and Ajibade to reconcile their differences. At this point, Daudu, who stood for the plaintiffs, pleaded with the judge to go ahead with the hearing of his client’s matter if, on the adjourned date, the two parties were unable to resolve their differences.

Omotosho subsequently fixed Thursday, October 16 for hearing of the matter.

At yesterday’s proceedings, Omotosho joined Damagum, Ali Odef, and Chief Emmanuel Ogidi as the 7th, 8th, and 9th defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025.

They were joined in two separate applications argued by their respective lawyers, Paul Erokoro and Audu Anuga, both SANs.

Erokoro, while arguing for Damagum’s joining, informed the court that he was a necessary party on account of his being National Chairman of PDP, Chairman of the National Working Committee (NWC), Chairman of the National Executive Committee (NEC), as well as Chairman of the convention committee.

Anuga, in his submission on joinder for Ali Odef and Emmanuel Ogidi, informed the court that the two were officers of PDP, who would be affected one way or the other by the outcome of the case.

The joinders’ request was vehemently opposed by the counsel to the three plaintiffs, Daudu, who urged the court to discountenance the request.

Daudu argued that the three plaintiffs did not seek any relief against those seeking to be joined, adding that their request for joinder, and if joined, would serve no purpose.

In his brief ruling, Omotosho said he had considered the status of Damagum, Odef, and Ogidi and found them to be necessary parties that would be affected one way or the other by the outcome of the case.

The judge then granted their request and ordered the three plaintiffs to make them the 7th, 8th, and 9th defendants.

The judge also ordered the plaintiffs to effect consequential amendments for the names of the three people to reflect in the processes that would be filed in respect of the matter.

The first six defendants were Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, National Secretary, Umar Baturrle, National Organising Secretary, NWC, and NEC of the party.

The three plaintiffs had instituted the suit seeking to stop the planned November 15 and 16, 2025 National Convention of PDP scheduled for Ibadan, where new national officers were expected to be elected.

Meanwhile, PDP postponed its 103rd NEC meeting, earlier scheduled for today, Wednesday, October 15.

According to a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the decision was taken by NWC at an emergency meeting held in Abuja.

Ologunagba stated, “Distinguished members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) may recall that the 103rd NEC meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, 15th October, 2025.

“However, in view of recent developments in the party, the National Working Committee (NWC) in exercise of its powers pursuant to Section 29 (2)(b) of the Constitution of the (as amended in 2017) has at its emergency meeting on Monday, 13th October, 2025 approved the postponement of the 103rd NEC meeting to a new date that will be communicated to members in due course.”

The party urged all NEC members to take note of the change and await further communication from the national secretariat.

The development came amid recent defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which had put pressure on the party.

PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, had publicly vowed resilience, declaring that neither political defections nor any external force could stop the national convention of the party slated to hold in Ibadan between November 15 and 16.