A major forgery scandal has erupted within the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), throwing its plans for a critical national convention into serious doubt and deepening the internal crises plaguing the party.
The party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, on Sunday alleged that his signature was forged on an official letter sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concerning the convention.
This damning claim has added a new layer of legal and criminal dimension to the party’s already fierce internal conflicts.
In a series of petitions sent to the INEC, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Inspector General of Police, Anyanwu, who is a known ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, stated categorically that he never signed the document in question.
The letter, dated August 29, was meant to formally notify INEC of the party’s planned elective national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The petitions, dated October 15 and made available to pressmen, leave no room for ambiguity. In his letter to the acting Chairman of INEC, titled “RE: Peoples Democratic Party Year 2025 Elective National Convention: Petition Against Forgery and Cloning of My Signature,” Anyanwu was direct in his denial.
“My attention has been drawn to the above titled official letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission with Ref. No. PDP/DOM/GF.2/Vol.1M/25-140 dated Monday, August 25, 2025, purportedly signed by me,” he wrote.
He continued, “Regrettably, the quoted letter was never signed, authorised, or known to me. It is shocking to have a forged or cloned version of my signature on the letter.”
Anyanwu then called for immediate action, writing, “I therefore request that this criminal conduct by officers of the Peoples Democratic Party and their collaborators within INEC be investigated and the culprits prosecuted. Attached herewith is an excerpt of the forged document for ease of reference.”
In near-identical separate petitions addressed to the Director-General of the DSS and the Inspector General of Police, both titled “Petition Against Forgery and Cloning of My Signature,” Anyanwu repeated these serious allegations and demands for an investigation.
This development is more than just a political squabble; it strikes at the heart of the party’s legitimacy and internal governance. For a national convention to be recognised by law, it must be properly communicated to the electoral commission by the party’s authorised officials. The allegation that this was done with a forged signature suggests that the party’s internal processes are in chaos and raises questions about the validity of the entire convention planning exercise.
The scandal is coming at a time when the PDP is already struggling with intense internal wrangling. Despite the official decision to hold the convention in Ibadan, there remains significant discontent, particularly among allies of Nyesom Wike. Their grievances are focused on the leadership of the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and include unresolved disputes over the South-South zonal leadership, control of party structures in several states including Cross River and Akwa Ibom, and disagreements on the micro-zoning formula for the convention’s key positions.
This internal fighting has already spilled from the party’s secretariat into the courtrooms. A lawsuit, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/25, has been filed by PDP chairmen from Imo and Abia States, along with the South-South Zonal Secretary. They have accused the Damagum-led National Working Committee of breaching the party’s constitution.
The court proceedings have themselves highlighted the party’s deep divisions. At a recent hearing, a dispute erupted over who was the rightful legal representative for the PDP. Two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Kamaldeen Ajibade and Chief Chris Uche, both stood before the judge claiming to represent the party. The judge, Justice James Omotosho, was forced to adjourn the case and direct the lawyers to provide proof of their authorisation.
Amid this legal confusion, a letter signed by 14 members of the National Working Committee surfaced, reaffirming a decision to remove Ajibade as the National Legal Adviser for alleged compromise and appointing Uche in his place. Ajibade, however, has insisted that he remains the party’s chief legal officer, stating that only a national convention has the power to remove him.
With the convention just weeks away, Senator Anyanwu’s petitions have cast a long shadow over the event. The PDP, once Nigeria’s dominant political force, now finds itself embroiled in a crisis that mixes bitter political rivalry with serious allegations of criminal forgery.
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