PDP Chieftain Slams Wike Over Sealing of Party Secretariat, Calls for Loyalty to ‘Political Family’

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Chief Bode Georg, has publicly criticised Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the recent closure of the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

A fresh political storm is brewing within the ranks of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as prominent party chieftain Chief Bode George has publicly criticised Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the recent closure of the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

In an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, George expressed disappointment that Wike, a long-serving PDP stalwart and now FCT Minister under the APC-led government, did not intervene to prevent the shutdown. The PDP headquarters was sealed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Monday due to an alleged N7 million ground rent debt.

George argued that Wike, given his extensive political history and rise within the PDP, should have stepped in personally to settle the debt as a gesture of loyalty and gratitude to the party.

“They waited until the very day of our NEC meeting to shut down the place,” George lamented. “The painful part is that the minister is also a member of our party. Culturally, this is like his father’s house—the house that raised him politically. What do you do when you owe your family? You pay it back.”

He went on to suggest that Wike could have easily paid the sum out of his funds. “He should’ve said, ‘Okay, N7 million? I’ll pay it. Here’s the receipt, take it back to the party. This is my house.’ That’s what a true son of the family would do.”

Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, has held numerous positions within the PDP since 1999, including minister and governor, all under the party’s platform.

The FCTA’s sealing of the PDP secretariat comes amid a broader crackdown on ground rent defaulters. Authorities recently revoked 4,794 land titles across upscale districts like Maitama, Asokoro, and Wuse, citing a backlog of unpaid rents totaling nearly N7 billion. Some of these debts reportedly stretch back over four decades.

President Bola Tinubu has since issued a 14-day ultimatum to all defaulters to settle their dues or face further sanctions.

George also alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat in Abuja is similarly indebted, claiming it owes billions in unpaid ground rents, though this has yet to be independently confirmed.