The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, has received fresh legal advice asking the party to effect the endorsement of Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the party’s substantive National Secretary.
This latest legal advice was conveyed through a memo written by the PDP National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, and addressed to Damagum.
The memo, dated February 7, 2025, was in response to Damagum’s memo to Ajibade, dated February 6, 2025, seeking the legal adviser’s “review” of the endorsement of Udeh-Okoye by the PDP Governors’ Forum and the Board of Trustees (BoT).
Recall that the BoT, acting on the advice of one of its members, Dr Kabiru Turaki, had, a few days ago, endorsed Udeh-Okoye as National Secretary, urging the acting chairman to effect the decision. The BoT’s decision came a few days after the PDP Governors’ Forum adopted the same position at a meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
After studying court documents relating to their respective cases and judgments obtained by Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye, the legal adviser agreed with the position of the BoT and the PDP Governors’ Forum.
The legal adviser’s memo to the Acting National Chairman stated in part: “In reaction to your memo dated February 6, 2025, and received on February 7, 2025, requesting me to study all the submissions from the committees set up the Governors’ Forum as well as that of the Board of Trustees to come up with my legal opinion, I have duly studied the attached documents to wit: The legal opinion/advice signed by Dr. Kabiru T. Turaki, dated February 3, 2025, addressed to the BoT Chairman; communiqué issued at the end of the emergency meeting of the BoT of Wednesday, February 5, 2025; the Enrolled Order of the Enugu Division of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/E/24/2024, between PDP & Anor v. Aniagu Emmanuel and 2 orbs; judgment order of the High Court of Enugu State in Suit No: E/882/2023, between Aniagu Emmanuel v. PDP & 3ors; Enrolled Order of the Abuja Judicial Division of the Court of Appeal in a post-judgment application, motion No: CA/E/01/2025 between PDP & Anor v. Aniagu Emmanuel & 2 Ors; and judgment of the High Court of Enugu State in Suit No: E/882/2023 between Aniagu Emmanuel v. PDP & 3 Ors.
“It is, therefore, my advice that the contending parties, having willingly submitted themselves to the authority of the committee led by Dr. Kabiru T. Turaki, should be honourable enough to abide by the outcome of the legal opinion/advice stemming from the proceeding they unreservedly consented to, especially the said legal opinion/advice signed by a well experienced Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and the 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.”
