By Chris Ochayi

ABUJA—The crisis rocking All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, yesterday, took a new dimension as the National leadership of the party, led by Chief Victor Umeh, petitioned the Abuja Commissioner of Police, alleging forgery of signatures of 11 of its National Working Committee, NWC, members by the Alhaji Sadiq Massalla group.

The police has commenced investigation into the allegation as men of the Command, it was gathered, had interrogated the affected members of the party, who raised the alert on signatures forgery.

Already, the affected members, led by Alhaji Abubakar Adamu, APGA’s North-East National Vice Chairman, had deposed to an affidavit before an Abuja High Court over the alleged forgery.

They said the Alhaji Massalla group forged their signatures, which they forwarded to Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to indicate they had been participating in their meetings. The petition was also addressed to INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

Members, whose signatures were allegedly forged, included the party’s Deputy National Auditor, Ogometu Ukpenetu; Deputy National Treasurer, Alhaji Lawal Barmo; National Organising Secretary, Dr. Gnega Femi; National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Benard Akoma; National Vice Chairman, South-South, Mr. Jolly Ngbor.

Others are Deputy National Youth Leader, Alhaji Ibrahim Carefore; Deputy National Welfare Secretary, Mr. E. Sonubi; Deputy National Financial Secretary, Chief Chris Ndigwe; National Vice Chairman, North-West, Alhaji Sagir Maidoya and Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Alfred Nwosu.

The petition said: “We wish to report to you the forgery of our signatures by some members of our NWC, who have been engaged in dissident activities, recently.

“From the certified copy true copies of letters they sent to INEC, released to us by INEC on July 20, it was discovered that signatures of 11 of us hereunder, were forged by Alhaji Massalla.”