A prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and member of its Board of Trustees, Chief Bode George, has berated the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the recent sealing of the PDP national secretariat in Abuja.
The FCT Administration, under Wike’s supervision, sealed the PDP’s Wadata Plaza on Monday as part of a city-wide enforcement operation targeting property owners who failed to pay their ground rent.
The secretariat was among 4,794 properties affected, some of which have allegedly defaulted for over four decades.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, George described the development as “painful” and “symbolically damaging,” especially given Wike’s longstanding affiliation with the party.
“We were told the party owed N7 million. The painful part of it is that the minister who authorized the sealing is a PDP member,” George said.
He argued that Wike, who rose to political prominence through the PDP, ought to have acted differently.
“If truly he considers himself a loyal party man, he should have paid it and brought the receipt back, saying, ‘I’ve settled the debt for the sake of our house.’ That is what a true son of a political family does.”
George further noted that the sealing occurred on the same day the PDP planned to hold its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which he interpreted as a targeted move.
President Bola Tinubu has since intervened in the matter, issuing a 14-day grace period for all affected property owners to clear their outstanding ground rent obligations and associated penalties.
While acknowledging the party’s oversight, George maintained that the PDP was not alone in defaulting. He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of also owing ground rent but questioned why the PDP was singled out so conspicuously.
The elder statesman’s remarks come amid ongoing tensions within the PDP, where Wike’s alignment with the Tinubu administration has sparked controversy and allegations of betrayal.