February 10, 2025 – The National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN, has formally requested the National Working Committee (NWC) to immediately swear in Sunday Ude-Okoye, a former National Youth Leader, as the new National Secretary of the party.
Ajibade’s directive comes in an internal memo received by Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum on Monday. In the memo, which PUNCH Online has exclusively obtained, Ajibade expressed his full endorsement of the findings from the Board of Trustees (BoT) panel, which has been pivotal in resolving internal disputes within the party.
He emphasized that both Ude-Okoye and Senator Samuel Anyanwu had willingly submitted themselves to the BoT panel chaired by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki. Ajibade urged that they should respect and abide by the panel’s conclusions, as this would reflect honor and integrity.
The PDP has faced significant internal strife since before and after the 2023 elections, resulting in instability and divisions. Damagum has been under increasing scrutiny, particularly after succeeding Iyorchia Ayu, as tensions around the National Secretary position intensified. The South-East had nominated Ude-Okoye to replace Anyanwu, who was selected for the Imo governorship.
On December 20, 2024, the Appeal Court ruled in favor of Ude-Okoye, affirming his position. However, conflicts have persisted, notably when supporters of Anyanwu forcibly removed Ude-Okoye from a BoT meeting on January 28, prompting a need for intervention.
Support from PDP governors, led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, on January 31 in Asaba, Delta State, further recognized Ude-Okoye as the rightful National Secretary. Despite this backing, Anyanwu rejected the endorsement, petitioning the Inspector General of Police, the Supreme Court, and the Appeal Court, claiming that the governors exacerbated the crisis.
On Wednesday, the BoT, led by former Senate President Adulphus Wabara, officially adopted Ude-Okoye as the legitimate National Secretary after reviewing the ongoing case. Following this endorsement, Damagum sent a memo on February 6 to the PDP National Legal Adviser, seeking legal guidance on adhering to the governors’ and BoT’s directives.
Ajibade’s memo, dated February 7 and received by the Acting National Chairman’s office on Monday, confirmed Ude-Okoye’s status as National Secretary. In his correspondence, Ajibade stated that the contending parties had voluntarily submitted to the authority of the committee led by Dr. Kabiru T. Turaki and that calling for a review of the legal opinion would undermine the BoT’s efforts and worsen existing tensions within the party.
Ajibade’s legal opinion concluded that the parties involved should honor the outcome of the committee’s findings, as the legal advice was provided by a seasoned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and had been adopted by the BoT, which represents the conscience of the party.
