A new twist has emerged in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis as National Chairman Umar Iliya Damagum and National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade openly disagreed in court on Tuesday over who has the legal authority to appoint the party’s lawyer. The drama unfolded at the Federal High Court, Abuja, during the hearing of a suit seeking to stop the PDP’s planned National Convention.

The disagreement began when Chris Uche, SAN, appeared in court claiming he had been appointed by Damagum to represent the PDP. However, Ajibade, also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), objected, insisting that only the Legal Adviser has the constitutional power to appoint lawyers for the party. The exchange caused confusion in court, prompting Justice James Omotosho to suspend proceedings temporarily to allow both party officials to reconcile.

After a 10-minute break, the two PDP leaders returned without resolving their differences, leading Justice Omotosho to adjourn the case until Thursday, October 16, 2025, for further hearing. The judge also approved the inclusion of Umar Damagum, Ali Odefa, and Emmanuel Ogidi as the 7th, 8th, and 9th defendants, ruling that they were “necessary parties” who could be affected by the outcome of the case.

The plaintiffs — Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP chairman), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman), and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South) — are seeking an order to stop the November 15–16, 2025 National Convention scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, where new national officers are expected to be elected. Their lawyer, Joseph Daudu, SAN, urged the court to proceed with the case if the internal disagreement persists.

The PDP’s internal crisis has deepened in recent months, with factional divisions over leadership, convention planning, and legal representation threatening to destabilize the party ahead of major political events. Many observers fear that continued disunity could weaken the PDP’s position as Nigeria’s main opposition party.