A new wave of tension has swept through the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as rival factions escalate their struggle for legitimacy, sending contradictory letters to the Federal High Court and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Each group is seeking official judicial recognition amid the party’s deepening leadership crisis.
The latest development stems from a strongly worded letter dated November 26, 2025, sent to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, by Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
In the letter, Anyanwu asserts that he remains the lawful National Secretary of the PDP.
Anyanwu accused former Deputy National Chairman, Taofeek Arapaja, of impersonation and of attempting to influence the judiciary.
He claimed Arapaja’s earlier petition, written on November 19 to query how PDP cases were being assigned to specific judges, was meant to discredit the courts.
Describing Arapaja’s letter as “malicious, frivolous, and mischievous,” Anyanwu argued that Arapaja lacked both constitutional and legal authority to communicate on behalf of the party.
He noted that Arapaja’s name does not appear on the list of PDP national officers recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“It is regrettable and disdainful for the person of Arapaja to disparage the collective integrity of the judiciary simply because the rulings of the court run contrary to their expectations,” Anyanwu wrote.
He urged the Chief Judge to ignore all correspondence from individuals he termed “false claimants,” insisting that the PDP’s leadership structure is unambiguous and verifiable through INEC records.
Anyanwu also issued what he called a formal disclaimer against Arapaja, accusing him of falsely presenting himself as the party’s National Secretary.
Arapaja, however, presented a contrasting account in his earlier petition.
Claiming to act with the authority of the national chairman and the newly elected National Working Committee (NWC), he expressed concern about what he described as the “repetitive” assignment of PDP-related cases to only three judges in the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.
He named the judges as Justice James Omotosho, Justice Peter Lifu, and Justice Abdulmalik.
According to Arapaja, although the Abuja Division has 12 judges, nearly all PDP cases in recent years have been routed to this trio, an arrangement he said has aroused suspicion among party members and the public.
While acknowledging the integrity of the judiciary, Arapaja appealed for future PDP cases to be assigned to other judges to preserve public confidence, stressing that “justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done.”
