The internal conflict within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened after the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, accused its leadership of forgery.
The controversy emerges just weeks ahead of the party’s national convention slated for November 15 in Ibadan.
In a petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Anyanwu alleged that his signature was falsified on a letter dated August 25, 2025, which notified INEC about the proposed convention.
He asserted that the letter, which bore his name alongside that of the acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, was “fake.”
According to him, the document “was never signed, authorised, or known to me,” describing the incident as “shocking and criminal.”
He urged the security agencies to “commence immediate investigation and prosecute those involved,” alleging that some party officials may have acted “in collaboration with elements within INEC.”
Anyanwu cautioned that allowing such an act of forgery to go unpunished could undermine confidence in the PDP’s internal democracy and damage the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
The alleged forgery has further widened rifts within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), where at least 14 members reportedly endorsed a letter calling for the removal of the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade.
Tensions escalated last week when Ajibade clashed with Damagum in court over a case filed by four state chairmen contesting the planned convention. The dispute centered on who held the authority to appoint legal representation for the party.
While Damagum had enlisted Chief Chris Uche (SAN) to represent the PDP, Ajibade maintained that, as National Legal Adviser, he alone possessed the authority to engage counsel.
Sources within the party revealed that former Senate President Bukola Saraki led a delegation that appealed to Anyanwu to endorse the contentious letter following the last National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. However, Anyanwu denied doing so, insisting that his signature was forged.
In his petition titled “Petition Against Forgery and Cloning of My Signature,” dated October 15, Anyanwu reaffirmed his position, stating: “It is shocking to have a forged or cloned version of my signature on such a document.”
The PDP convention, already entangled in legal disputes at the Federal High Court in Abuja, now faces greater uncertainty amid the deepening crisis within its leadership.
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