The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new turn on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the party’s national chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and the national legal adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, engaged in a power tussle in open court.
During 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 present in court and had signed a letter personally mandating Chris Uche, SAN, to represent the PDP in the legal action, Ajibade, also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), insisted that he alone had the constitutional authority to appoint legal representation for the PDP.
When the matter was called before Justice James Omotosho, Joseph Daudu, SAN, announced the appearance of the three plaintiffs: Hon. Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP Chairman), Hon. Amah Nnanna (Abia PDP Chairman), and Turnah George (PDP Secretary, South-South).
Trouble began when Chris Uche, along with more than five other SANs, announced their appearance for the PDP. This move was immediately countered by Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, the PDP national legal adviser, who also announced an appearance for the same party.
In the ensuing drama, Uche informed Justice Omotosho that he had a letter from the PDP national chairman appointing him to represent the party in the suit. In response,
But Ajibade asserted that he was the sole authority, as empowered by the PDP Constitution, to appoint legal representation for the party, citing judgements to support his position.
Apparently taken aback by the development, Justice Omotosho halted the hearing for ten minutes, instructing the two PDP national officers to step outside and resolve their differences.
At the end of the ten-minute break, both parties returned to inform the court that they had been unable to reconcile their positions regarding legal representation. Chris Uche, SAN, subsequently requested a short adjournment to allow further discussions between the two.
At this point, Daudu, representing the plaintiffs, urged the judge to proceed with the matter on the next adjourned date should the two factions fail to reach an agreement.
Justice Omotosho then adjourned the hearing to Thursday, 16 October.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Justice Omotosho also joined Umar Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Chief Emmanuel Ogidi as the 7th, 8th, and 9th defendants in the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025.
They were joined through two separate applications argued by their respective lawyers, Paul Erokoro and Audu Anuga, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
While arguing for Damagum’s joinder, Erokoro informed the court that he was a necessary party, being the national chairman of the PDP, chairman of the National Working Committee (NWC), chairman of the National Executive Committee (NEC), and chairman of the Convention Committee.
Audu Anuga, SAN, in his submission for the joinder of Ali Odefa and Emmanuel Ogidi, informed the court that both are PDP officers who would be directly affected by the outcome of the case.
The joinder request was strongly opposed by Joseph Daudu, counsel to the plaintiffs, who argued that the claimants were not seeking any relief against the individuals applying to be joined, and that their inclusion would serve no purpose.
In a brief ruling, Justice Omotosho said he had considered the positions of Umar Illiya Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi, and found them to be necessary parties who would be affected by the outcome of the case.
The judge granted the joinder request and ordered that the plaintiffs amend their processes to reflect the names of the three new defendants.
The first six defendants are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP, Samuel Anyanwu (the party’s national secretary), Umar Baturrle (the party’s national organising secretary), and the party’s NWC and NEC.
The three plaintiffs are seeking to stop the planned National Convention of the PDP, scheduled to take place on 15 and 16 November 2025 in Ibadan, Oyo State, where new national officers are expected to be elected.
I Joined APC to Serve My People Better – Mbah
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has officially joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that the decision was made to ensure he could serve his people more effectively.
He made the announcement during a live broadcast from the Government House in Enugu on Tuesday.
He stated that the move was not a betrayal, emphasising that he wanted to align with a platform that would better serve his constituents.
The governor highlighted that for decades, the South East, particularly Enugu, had stood loyally behind the PDP, showing patience and commitment.
He, however, expressed dismay that, despite this history of support, their voices were too often ignored when it mattered most.
Present during the declaration were former governors of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, among other dignitaries.
Members of the APC national leadership have already issued Mbah his APC membership card.
Mbah stressed that he is carrying the trust of his people to a platform that will serve them best.
He asserted that when a system no longer delivers fairness, bold decisions must be made.
He added that when considering the move, he took into account the policies of President Bola Tinubu.
He insisted that the decision to leave the PDP was collective and that he was not coerced into joining the APC.
According to him, there is now a strong synergy between what is being done in Enugu State and the policy direction of the federal government.
“This was never an easy decision, but sometimes we must defer to higher principles,” he stated.
The governor further explained that the move was a collective one by the broader political family in Enugu State — comprising members of the National Assembly, State House of Assembly, the State Executive Council, all local government chairmen, councillors, political appointees, and over 80 per cent of the party executives.
Mbah aid that over the past few months, he had reflected deeply on the path forward and that after extensive soul-searching and consultation, he concluded that he and his followers must stand for principles and institutions that uphold honour, transparency, trust, and, above all, the interests of the people.
“We are not moving from a place of resentment or fear. We are confident about our future. We have no axe to grind or personal points to make, but fairness, respect, and integrity must guide our choices for that future to be ours today,” he said.
The governor further stated that he regards President Bola Tinubu not only as the nation’s leader but as a partner in purpose — a man with the courage to make tough decisions today for a more prosperous tomorrow.
He added that they share a vision and conviction that transformation must be bold and disruptive, and that infrastructure such as roads, railways, and airlines must stretch from the heart of the South-East.
