Ogbeide Associates, Solicitors and Counsel, representing the factional Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has formally petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to investigate the party’s Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, and factional National Chairman, Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed, over a letter dated November 3, 2025, sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The letter falsely claimed that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had suspended Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum as Acting National Chairman and appointed Mohammed in his place. This assertion is disputed by the factional PDP, which argues that no such resolution was passed by the NWC.
The petition highlights that the NWC’s 608th Emergency Meeting, held on November 1, 2025, had actually resolved to suspend Anyanwu and three other party officials over allegations of anti-party activities. The meeting’s official records show that Anyanwu was absent, while Mohammed was present and thus had direct knowledge of the meeting’s actual outcome. Crucially, no minutes, resolutions, or attendance records have been produced to support the claim that Damagum was suspended or that Mohammed was appointed as his replacement.
The petition further points to a Federal High Court judgment dated October 10, 2024 (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/579/2024), which recognized Ambassador Damagum as the legitimate Acting National Chairman and barred INEC from acting on any document not bearing his signature. Senator Anyanwu himself had forwarded this judgment to INEC in November 2024, confirming its validity. The Court of Appeal later affirmed the NWC’s suspension of Anyanwu on March 9, 2026, reinforcing the legal standing of the factional PDP’s position.
The legal team is urging the Nigeria Police Force to investigate not only the two individuals but also how INEC processed the November 3 letter, given that the commission was already aware of both the court judgment and the NWC’s suspension resolution. They argue that the submission of a document that misrepresents the party’s internal structure could constitute a serious breach of electoral integrity and public trust.
“Our petition is not about personalities,” said counsel for the petitioner. “It is about whether public institutions can be misled with documents that do not reflect the true position of internal party processes, and whether such conduct will be investigated as the law requires.” The lawyers have offered to provide all supporting documentation, including court judgments and internal party records, to assist in the investigation.
This development underscores ongoing tensions within the PDP and raises important questions about accountability, legal compliance, and the role of electoral bodies in verifying the authenticity of political documents. The outcome of the police investigation could have significant implications for party governance and electoral processes in Nigeria.
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