The rift within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee deepened dramatically when a legal showdown unfolded in the Federal High Court, FCT, Abuja.
The stage was set for a high-stakes hearing in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1016/2024 BETWEEN HON. AARON CHUKWUEMEKA DSSRS & 5ORS V. PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) & 9ORS before his Lordship Honourable Justice P.O. Lifu.
As the proceedings began on Thursday, a vacation judge, Justice Lifu, was met with an unexpected spectacle: three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) each vied to assert their legitimacy as the PDP’s official legal counsel.
The tension in the air was palpable as Amb. Umar Iliya Damagum (Acting National Chairman, PDP), Sen. Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu (National Secretary, PDP), and Umar M. Bature (National Organizing Secretary, PDP) were named as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Defendants, respectively.
It became clear that the Plaintiffs represented a faction aligned with pro-Wike interests in Rivers State, comprising members from the Caretaker Committees within the party at both state and local levels.
K.C. Njanze made his appearance for the Plaintiffs, setting the stage for a legal clash. A.K. Ajibade, SAN, emerged as the party’s defender for the 1st to 4th Defendants, bolstering his position with the authority afforded to him by Article 42 (1) of the PDP Constitution as amended in 2017.
But just as order seemed to be restored, the courtroom erupted again. Ferdinand Oshoke Orbih, SAN, claimed he also represented the PDP, citing instructions from Kingsley Chuku, a fervent supporter of Nyesom Wike and a member of the Rivers State Caretaker Committee. The confusion escalated as S.I. Ameh, SAN, then stepped forward, asserting he had been retained by Damagum, Anyanwu, and Bature themselves for their representation.
The courtroom, already rife with tension, was taken aback. Justice Lifu, visibly troubled by the chaotic ballet of competing legal claims, condemned the farcical situation where three prominent lawyers scrambled for position in an open court. He urged the external counsel to confer with the party’s National Legal Adviser to clarify representation issues before the next scheduled hearing.
He adjourned the matter until August 30, 2024, leaving the courtroom buzzing with the ramifications of this unprecedented legal drama.
