Legal adviser endorses Ude-Okoye as PDP National Secretary

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The National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN, has urged the National Working Committee (NWC) to promptly swear in former National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, as the party’s National Secretary. This recommendation follows a recent Court of Appeal judgment affirming Ude-Okoye’s position. 

In an internal memo addressed to Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, Ajibade fully endorsed the Board of Trustees panel’s report. He emphasized that since both Ude-Okoye and Senator Samuel Anyanwu had willingly participated in the BoT panel led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, they should honorably accept the panel’s conclusions.

The internal conflict within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has intensified following the Court of Appeal’s December 20, 2024, ruling in favor of Sunday Ude-Okoye as the National Secretary. Despite this judgment, disputes persist. On January 28, 2025, tensions escalated when supporters of Senator Samuel Anyanwu forcibly removed Ude-Okoye from a Board of Trustees meeting, necessitating intervention. This incident underscores the deepening divisions within the party’s leadership.

On January 31, 2025, in Asaba, Delta State, the Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, endorsed the Court of Appeal’s decision affirming Sunday Ude-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary. They urged the National Working Committee to implement this judgment promptly.

However, Anyanwu rejected this, petitioning the IGP, Supreme Court, and Appeal Court, while accusing the governors of worsening the crisis.

On Wednesday, the Board of Trustees (BoT), led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, reviewed the case and recognized Sunday Ude-Okoye as the legitimate National Secretary. Following this, Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum received a memo from the BoT instructing the National Working Committee (NWC) to swear in Ude-Okoye. In response, on February 6, Damagum sought advice from the PDP National Legal Adviser on whether to comply with directives from both the Governors and the BoT.

Damagum’s memo, titled “Legal Opinion with Regards to the Position of the National Secretary,” reads in part “Following series of litigation from different courts, kindly study all the submissions from the committees set up by the Governor’s Forum as well as that of the Board of Trustees with the view of coming up with your legal opinion to enable us to take an informed position.

“Please find enclosed a copy of the BOT legal opinion as forwarded by the Chairman.”

In response to Damagum’s memo, Ajibade issued a memo on February 7, received by the Acting National Chairman’s office on Monday, in which he also confirmed Ude-Okoye as the National Secretary.

PDP National Legal Adviser memo read in part, “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, calling for review of the said legal opinion/advise in my opinion 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.

It is, therefore, my advice that the contending parties have willingly submitted themselves to the authority of the committee led by Dr. Kabiru T. Turaki, SAN should be honourable enough to abide by the outcome of the legal opinion/advice stemming from the proceeding they unreservedly consented to, most especially that the said legal opinion/advice was signed by a well experienced Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and same adopted by the BOT which is the conscience of the party. See Article 32(5) (a) to (i) of the Constitution (amended in 2017) of our great party.

“Finally, I have nothing to add to the said legal opinion, it is hereby adopted as mine.”