Damagum Appoints PDP Legal Team, 11 NWC Members Kick, Write Supreme Court’s Registrar

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The leadership tussle in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has torn the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party apart as they disagreed over the appointment of legal representatives for the party.
This is coming ahead of Monday, January 27 commencement of the legal tussle for the substantive national secretary between Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Hon. Sunday Ude-Okoye.

 The acting National Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, has appointed a team of lawyers led by Mr JY Musa (SAN) to lead and defend him and Anyanwu at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
But in a swift reaction, eleven members of the NWC wrote to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, protesting that the acting national chairman has no powers under the PDP constitution to appoint external legal representatives for the party.

In the letter signed by Damagum to J.Y Musa, he said: “I hereby instruct you to represent and defend us in the appeal under reference at the Supreme Court.  
”Wherefore you need further information, I request that you contact me personally.”
 But in a swift reaction, 11 members of the NWC have asked the Supreme Court to disregard Damagum’s appointment of the SAN as the legal representative of the party in the suit of the substantive national secretary of the party.

In a counter letter made available to THISDAY, the 11 NWC members, said: ”Our attention has been drawn to a letter of instruction signed by the Acting National Chairman of the PDP purportedly on behalf of the party, the NWC and the National Executive Committee (NEC) appointing  J Y Musa (SAN) to represent the party and all others at the Supreme Court in appeal emanating from Appeal No.CA/E/23/2024-Senator Samuel N. Anyanwu Vs Aniagu Emmanuel and three others.  

”We respectfully urge the Supreme Court and everyone concerned to disregard the said letter.
”The National Working Committee (NWC) did not authorise the Acting National Chairman to issue the letter under reference for the Party, the National Working Committee or the National Executive Committee.  
”For the avoidance of doubt, the responsibility of appointing external solicitors to handle cases on behalf of the party is that of the National Legal Adviser pursuant to Article 42 of the party’s constitution and not that of any other NWC member.”