Fresh uncertainty has gripped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as rival factions continue to send conflicting letters to the Federal High Court and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), each seeking formal recognition amid the party’s escalating leadership crisis.
Gatekeepers News reports that the latest development stems from a strongly worded letter dated November 26, 2025, addressed to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who insists he remains the legitimate National Secretary of the PDP.
In the letter, Anyanwu accused former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Taofeek Arapaja, of impersonation and attempting to “malign and coerce” the judiciary by previously petitioning the Chief Judge over the alleged pattern of assigning PDP-related cases to specific judges.
Describing Arapaja’s November 19 petition as “malicious, frivolous and mischievous,” Anyanwu argued that Arapaja lacked the constitutional authority to speak for the PDP, noting that his name does not appear in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) records as a national officer.
“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,” the letter stated.
Anyanwu further accused Arapaja of trying to “coerce the judiciary to depart from the position of justice,” warning that such actions amount to an attack on the rule of law and internal party democracy. He urged Justice Tsoho to disregard any correspondence from “false claimants,” insisting that the party’s leadership structure is clearly defined in its constitution and recognisable on the INEC portal.
He also issued what he called a formal disclaimer against Arapaja “falsely parading himself as the National Secretary of the PDP.”
However, Arapaja’s earlier letter presented a conflicting narrative. Claiming to act under the authority of the national chairman and the newly elected National Working Committee (NWC), he expressed “fear and apprehension” about the repeated assignment of PDP cases in the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to three judges.
Arapaja named the judges—Justice James Omotosho, Justice Peter Lifu, and Justice Abdulmalik—arguing that although the division has 12 judges, “nearly all PDP cases” over recent years have been handled by only these three.
He said this pattern has raised suspicions among party members and the public, describing the courts overseen by the three judges as “courts of particular concern.”
While acknowledging the integrity of the judiciary and the office of the Chief Judge, Arapaja pleaded that future PDP-related cases not be assigned to the same judges, insisting that “justice must not only be done but also be seen to be done.”
The exchange of letters highlights the widening internal rift within the opposition party, whose leadership dispute has spilled into multiple courts across the country.
