It was another dramatic scene on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja as the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, worsened.
This time, the National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum and the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade battled for several minutes in open court arguing over the legal representation of the party.
NATIONAL POST reports that the case bothered on a suit to stop the party’s November National Convention, instituted by three aggrieved members.
Our correspondent reports that for several minutes, Damagum and Ajibade battled over who has the power to appoint 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 can 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 Chief Chris Uche, SAN with more than five other SANs announced appearance for PDP, the move that was immediately countered by Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, the PDP National Legal Adviser, who also announced appearance for the same party.
In the drama that ensued, Chris Uche, SAN informed Justice Omotosho that he had a letter from PDP National Chairman appointing him to represent the party in the suit while, at the same time, Ajibade replied that he is the sole authority vested with power by PDP Constitution to appoint legal representation for the party and cited some judgements to that effect.
Apparently taken aback by the development, Justice Omotosho stood down the hearing of the matter for ten minutes for the National Chairman and the National Legal Adviser to go out of the court to put their house in order.
At the end of the ten minutes, the two parties reported that they were unable to reconcile on legal representation prompting Chris Uche, SAN, to seek for a short adjournment to enable the National Chairman and the National Legal Adviser see how to reconcile their differences.
At this point, Daudu, who stood for the plaintiffs pleaded with the Judge to go ahead into the hearing of his client's matter if on the adjourned date, the two parties are unable to resolve their differences.
Justice Omotosho subsequently fixed Thursday, October 16 for the hearing of the matter.
Meanwhile, at Tuesday's proceedings, Justice Omotosho joined Umar Iliya Damagum, Ali Odefa and Chief Emmanuel Ogidi as 7th, 8th and 9th defendants in the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025.
The plaintiffs in the suit belong to the PDP camp loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
