The crisis of confidence rocking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) took a new dimension at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday where the National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum and the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade engaged in power tussle in the open court.

At the hearing of a suit seeking to stop the planned National Convention of the party instituted by three aggrieved members, Damagum and Ajibade battled for several minutes in who has the power to appoint lawyer to represent the party.

Galaxy Television reports that While Damagum, who was physically present in court in a letter he personally signed, mandated Chris Uche, SAN to represent PDP in the legal action, Ajibade, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) insisted that he was the only authority that can appoint legal representation for PDP.

When the matter was called before Justice James Omotosho, Joseph Daudu, SAN announced appearance for the three plaintiffs, namely, Hon Austin Nwachukwu (Imo PDP chairman), Hon Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia PDP chairman) and Turnah Alabh George (PDP Secretary, South-South).

Trouble however started when Chief Chris Uche, SAN with more than five other SANs announced appearance for PDP, the move that was immediately countered by Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN the PDP National Legal Adviser, who also announced appearance for the same party.

Apparently taken aback by the development, Justice Omotosho stood down the hearing of the matter for ten minutes for the National Chairman and the National Legal Adviser to go out of the court to put their house in order.

At the end of the ten minutes, the two parties reported that they were unable to reconcile on legal representation prompting Chris Uche, SAN to seek for a short adjournment to enable the National Chairman and the National Legal Adviser see how to reconcile their differences. Justice Omotosho subsequently fixed Thursday, October 16 for the hearing of the matter.