Abuja, Nigeria; The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is entering a decisive phase ahead of its 2025 Elective National Convention, slated for Saturday, November 15 to Sunday, November 16, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The high-stakes gathering will determine new leadership positions, with screening for aspirants set for Tuesday next week, followed by an appeals session on Thursday, October 30, 2025. According to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State, who chairs the National Convention Organizing Committee (NCOC), all Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms must be submitted by Monday, October 27, 2025, at the NCOC Secretariat Conference Hall, Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja.

Amid preparations, the party finds itself engulfed in controversy following claims by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the PDP’s National Secretary, who alleged that his signature was forged on the official correspondence submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the upcoming convention.

In a swift response, Adolphus Wabara, chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) and former Senate President, dismissed Anyanwu’s allegations as “baseless” and urged party members to remain calm. Wabara clarified that the letter notifying INEC of the convention was jointly signed by Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, the PDP National Chairman, and Senator Anyanwu himself during the 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on August 25, 2025. The signing, he said, was witnessed by key organs of the party, including the PDP Governors’ Forum, the BoT, and several NEC members.

The BoT also provided documented evidence contradicting Anyanwu’s claims. Following the submission of the INEC letter, Anyanwu was inaugurated as Secretary of the Contact and Mobilization Sub-Committee for the 2025 Convention, a position from which he co-signed multiple official communications alongside the sub-committee’s Chairman, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State. Among these were letters of appointment for committee members and requests for financial approvals — all bearing Anyanwu’s verified signature. According to Wabara, these documents, now filed with the NCOC and other convention organs, “irrefutably expose the inconsistency” in the forgery allegations.

As tensions rise within the party, reports indicate that Turaki Sule Lamido, the former Governor of Jigawa State and a prominent northern PDP figure, has emerged as a powerful contender for the national chairmanship position. His candidacy has reportedly reignited long-standing regional and ideological divisions within the party. Lamido, who previously contested for the