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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has refuted allegations by its National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, that his signature was forged in the opposition party’s correspondence to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), informing the electoral body of the party’s national convention.
PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, at a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday, said Anyanwu signed the letter notifying INEC of the November 15 and 16 National Convention, at a meeting between members of the National Working Committee (NWC), PDP governors, and other party leaders, on August 2025.
Anyanwu had, in three different petitions dated October 15, 2025, and addressed to the acting chairman, INEC; Director General, Department of State Services (DSS), and Inspector General of Police (IGP) alleged that his signature was forged in a letter by the PDP, dated August 25, 2025, to the electoral body, notifying it of the opposition party’s national convention.
The forgery allegations are the latest in the crisis in the opposition party, ahead of its National Convention, where it is scheduled to elect new members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Last week, the PDP Chairman in Imo State, Austin Nwachukwu, his Abia State counterpart, Abraham Nnanna, and the South South Zonal Secretary, George Turnah, filed a suit before the Federal High Court, seeking to stop preparation for the convention, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
In the last one year, the PDP has been plagued by different crises as the party’s governors and loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, battled over the control of the party’s machinery, ahead of the 2027 polls.
Ologunagba, who called on the security agencies to investigate the forgery allegation against the party, insisted that Anyanwu signed the letter notifying INEC of the National Convention, alongside three other correspondences to the electoral body, at the meeting, which held at the National Chairman’s Office, at the Wadata Plaza, before the commencement of the 102 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
He said those present at the meeting, where the letters were signed, included Governors Bala Mohammed, Bauchi; Ahmadu Fintiri, Adamawa; Ademola Adeleke, Osun; Seyi Makinde, Oyo; Dauda Lawal, Zamfara; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the former Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu, as well as former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki.
Consequently, the PDP spokesman charged security agencies to thoroughly investigate the forgery allegation and prosecute anybody found culpable of false information.
Ologunagba said: “You recall that at the 101 NEC meeting of this party, on 24th of July, Senator Samuel Anyanwu was number four on the attendance register and INEC was fully represented. NEC approved the 2025 elective national convention schedule of activities and timetable.
“Under the approved timetable, the elective national convention to elect a new set of national officers of our party will hold on 15th to 16th November, 2025, in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital. Consequently, NEC directed the national chairman, his Excellency, Ambassador Ilya Damagum, and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, to officially write to inform INEC. This was the meeting on the 24th of July.
“NEC directed the national chairman and national secretary to officially write to inform the INEC of the time, the venue, and the agenda for the national elective convention.
“Accordingly, NEC also approved the membership composition of the national convention committee, which we call the National Convention Organising Committee, as well as membership composition of the National Convention Zoning Committee, which was approved at the 101 meeting of 24th of July.
“Now, fast forward to the 102nd NEC meeting, which was on the 25th of August, 2025. The chairman and the national secretary, Senator Anyanwu, wrote letters. That meeting of the 25th of August was preceded by a meeting of governors, NWC members, leaders of the party, in this building, in the office of the national chairman, where every member here from the NWC was present.
“Others at the meeting were His Excellency, Rt. Honourable Umaru Fintiri, the governor of Adamawa State, and His Excellency, Bala Abulkadir Muhammed, the governor of Bauchi. This was before the NEC meeting in the office of the chairman, where Senator Anyanwu was present. The legal adviser was present. The national organising secretary was present.
“His Excellency, Ademola Jackson Adeleke, the governor of Osun State; His Excellency, Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo State; His Excellency, Dauda Lawal, the governor of Zamfara State; His Excellency, Senator Bukola Saraki; His Excellency, Kabiru Tamiru Taraki, SAN, and His Excellency, Babangida Aliyu were all present.
“At that meeting, four letters were signed on the 25th of August before this gentleman and members that are seated here; four letters were written and signed in their presence in the office of the national chairman, and these are the letters, I will identify them.
“The letter to INEC was signed by Senator Anyanwu and the chairman. The 101 NEC meeting directed them to issue a letter of notice, conveying time, date, venue, and agenda of the national convention at Ibadan. Another letter that was signed that day by him, with the chairman, was the composition of the elective national convention membership. That was the second letter that was signed.
“The third letter that was signed at that same meeting, at the same time, before the same gentleman, was notice of repeat Southeast 2025 Zonal Congresses of People’s Democratic Party. And the last letter was notice of repeat congresses in Anambra and Ebonyi States. So these four letters were signed at the same time, at the same venue, before the gentleman.”
The PDP spokesman added that as part of the preparation for the convention, Anyanwu was appointed as secretary of the Mobilisation and Contact Sub Committee, and has already started work.
He explained that the national secretary, in his capacity as secretary of the Contact and Mobilisation Sub Committee, has already presented the budget of the sub-committee to the party, as well as issued letters to the members of the sub-committee.
“He started work as subcommittee secretary of the Contact and Mobilisation committee of the convention, in which he participated in setting up the processes. Now, to show that he started working on that, there was a budget presented by him. Now, in the foreground of that position, he wrote letters to members of the subcommittee.
“Curiously, today is the 20th of October, right? Nine or 10 days shy of 60 days. And you suddenly woke up and said, oh, that was forged. When this acknowledgement came, the party received the acknowledgement. The NWC is aware of this acknowledgement. So, at what point does that become a forged document? 50 odd days after the letter was signed. I mean, you can understand this. This is why we said some of these need to be interrogated.
“What is important under criminal law is that there are personal consequences for people when they deliberately misinform security agencies to go on a wild goose chase.
“But, again, we leave that within them to investigate, and we welcome the investigation. He who alleges must prove. But you look at the jigsaw, look at the puzzle, four letters were signed at the same time. And then, almost two months later, one of them suddenly became forged.”
