In an internal memo obtained by the office of the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, on Monday, Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN, the National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party, confirmed his full adoption of the Board of Trustees panel’s report and asked the National Working Committee, of which he is a member, to immediately swear in a former National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, as the National Secretary.
The PDP has been dealing with internal problems since before and after the 2023 elections, which have caused instability and divisions.
In the memo, which PUNCH Online exclusively obtained, Ajibade emphasized that since Ude-Okoye and Senator Samuel Anyanwu had submitted to the BoT panel chaired by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, they should show the honor of accepting the panel’s findings.
Damagum has come under increasing fire, particularly since taking over for Iyorchia Ayu. When the South East nominated Ude-Okoye to succeed Anyanwu, who had been chosen for the governorship of Imo, tensions over the National Secretary post grew.
Conflict continued even after the Appeal Court’s decision in favor of Ude-Okoye on December 20, 2024. Intervention followed the forcible removal of Ude-Okoye from a BoT meeting by Anyanwu’s supporters on January 28.
On January 31 at Asaba, the capital of Delta state, PDP governors, led by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, accepted the court’s ruling and acknowledged Ude-Okoye as the legitimate National Secretary.
However, Anyanwu rejected this, petitioning the IGP, Supreme Court, and Appeal Court, while accusing the governors of worsening the crisis.
After considering the case, the Board of Trustees, presided over by former Senate President Adulphus Wabara, approved Ude-Okoye as the official National Secretary on Wednesday.
Following receipt of the BoT’s memo directing the NWC to swear in Ude-Okoye as National Secretary, Damagum wrote to the PDP National Legal Adviser on February 6 to ask for guidance on whether to comply with the Governors’ and the BoT’s mandate.
Part of Damagum’s memo, “Legal Opinion with Regards to the Position of the National Secretary,” states: “After a number of court cases, please review all of the submissions from the Board of Trustees and the Governor’s Forum committees in order to provide your legal opinion so that we can make an informed decision.
“A copy of the BOT legal opinion, which was forwarded by the Chairman, is enclosed.”
In a February 7 memo that was received by the office of the Acting National Chairman on Monday, Ajibade responded to Damagum’s memo by confirming Ude-Okoye as the National Secretary. “The contending parties have voluntarily submitted to the authority of the Dr. Kabiru T. Turaki, SAN led committee and a legal opinion/advice having been proffered after evaluation of documents tendered by parties,” the PDP National Legal Adviser memo stated.
“I believe that calling for review of the said legal opinion/advice is not only improper but will undermine the effort of the BOT and increase the already existing tension as well as worsen the volatility within the party which may be difficult to arrest,” the memo read in part.
Therefore, I advise that the parties who have voluntarily submitted to the committee’s authority, which is headed by Dr. Kabiru T. Turaki, SAN, should be honorable enough to follow the ruling of the legal opinion or advice resulting from the proceeding to which they unconditionally consented.
This is especially true given that the legal opinion or advice was signed by a seasoned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and that the BOT, which represents the party’s conscience, adopted it. Refer to Article 32(5) (a) through (i) of our great party’s 2017 amendment to the Constitution. “The aforementioned legal opinion is hereby adopted as mine, and I have nothing more to add to it.”