The ongoing turmoil within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) escalated dramatically on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where a public dispute unfolded between the party’s National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and its National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade.
The conflict arose during the hearing of a lawsuit filed by three disgruntled PDP members aiming to halt the party’s upcoming National Convention. Central to the courtroom confrontation was a disagreement over who holds the legitimate authority to appoint legal counsel to represent the party in this case.
Ambassador Damagum, present in court, presented a letter he personally signed, authorizing Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Chris Uche to act as PDP’s legal representative. Contrarily, Kamaldeen Ajibade, also a SAN, asserted that under the PDP Constitution, only the National Legal Adviser possesses the power to designate the party’s legal representatives.
When the case was called before Justice James Omotosho, Joseph Daudu, SAN, appeared on behalf of the plaintiffs: Hon. Austin Nwachukwu (PDP Chairman, Imo State), Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna (PDP Chairman, Abia State), and Turnah Alabah George (PDP Secretary, South-South zone).
The situation intensified as Chief Chris Uche, SAN, accompanied by over five other SANs, announced their appearance for PDP. This was immediately challenged by Kamaldeen Ajibade, who also declared his representation of the party, insisting on his exclusive authority to appoint counsel.
In the ensuing exchange, Uche presented the court with the National Chairman’s letter appointing him, while Ajibade cited legal precedents affirming his constitutional role as the sole appointer of PDP’s legal team.
Faced with this unexpected dispute, Justice Omotosho paused the proceedings for ten minutes, directing the National Chairman and the National Legal Adviser to confer outside the courtroom to resolve their differences.
After the recess, both parties reported an impasse regarding the appointment of legal representation. Consequently, Chris Uche requested a brief adjournment to allow further discussions aimed at reconciliation.
Meanwhile, Joseph Daudu, SAN, representing the plaintiffs, urged the court to proceed with the hearing on the adjourned date should the parties fail to settle their dispute.
Justice Omotosho subsequently scheduled the continuation of the hearing for Thursday, October 16.
During Tuesday’s session, the judge also added Umar Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Chief Emmanuel Ogidi as the 7th, 8th, and 9th defendants in the case (FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025), following separate applications presented by their counsel, Senior Advocates Paul Erokoro and Audu Anuga.
Paul Erokoro argued that Damagum’s inclusion was essential given his multiple leadership roles within PDP, including National Chairman, Chairman of the National Working Committee (NWC), National Executive Committee, and the Convention Committee.
Audu Anuga submitted that Ali Odefa and Emmanuel Ogidi, as pdp-convention-zoning-clash-makinde-wike/” title=”… Convention Showdown: Intense Clash Between Makinde and Wike Factions Over Zoning Battle”>party officials, would be directly impacted by the lawsuit’s outcome, justifying their joinder.
However, Joseph Daudu opposed these joinder applications, contending that the plaintiffs had not sought any relief against these individuals and that their inclusion would be unnecessary.
In a concise ruling, Justice Omotosho acknowledged the significant positions held by Damagum, Odefa, and Ogidi, deeming them indispensable parties to the suit. He therefore granted the joinder requests and directed the plaintiffs to amend their filings accordingly to reflect these additions.
The initial six defendants in the suit include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP itself, Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary), Umar Bature (National Organizing Secretary), the National Working Committee (NWC), and the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.
The plaintiffs’ lawsuit seeks to prevent the PDP’s National Convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State, where new national officers are slated to be elected.
