A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has strongly criticized the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for revoking the Certificate of Occupancy of the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The decision, which PENTALK reports was due to the PDP’s failure to pay a ₦7.6 million ground rent, also affected the party’s unfinished national secretariat in the Central Business District. Wike justified the move by accusing the party of failing to meet its financial obligations despite generating between ₦13 billion and ₦20 billion from nomination forms over the years.
However, George sees Wike’s action as a deliberate attack on the party that nurtured his political career. In an interview with New Telegraph, he described the revocation as a declaration of war and a betrayal of party principles.
‘Wike Has Crossed the Red Line’
Expressing his displeasure, George likened Wike to a “political son” who had now turned against his own family.
“When the PDP crisis started, I was invited to join the G5 governors and some other elders. At first, I agreed, but I withdrew when I realized that some of their actions were against the party’s interests,” George explained.
He added that Wike’s decision to revoke the party’s land title was completely unacceptable in a democratic setting.
“He has crossed the red line. Imagine being from a community, then becoming its local government chairman, and the first thing you do in office is revoke the land title of your father’s house, the very house that raised and supported you. That’s exactly what Wike has done to the PDP,” he said.
George argued that Wike, instead of taking punitive action, should have personally covered the outstanding fees if he truly valued the party that gave him his political foundation.
“Is ₦7.6 million too much for someone who was made local government chairman, chief of staff, a minister, and a two-term governor by the same party? If he wanted to prove loyalty, he should have paid it himself instead of embarrassing the PDP,” he stated.
‘Wike Has Declared War on the PDP’
When asked whether Wike’s actions signified that he had abandoned the PDP, George emphatically agreed.
“Absolutely! As a general, I can tell you that once someone crosses the red line, they have declared war. The party must act. We, the leaders and the Board of Trustees, must meet and take decisive action,” he insisted.
According to George, the PDP’s leaders hold the party’s assets and liabilities in trust for its members. Allowing Wike’s revocation order to stand without consequences, he argued, would make the leadership look weak and irresponsible.
“It’s disgraceful that he revoked the PDP’s land title. If we don’t act, we will be seen as incompetent elders. The party cannot afford to remain silent on this,” he warned.
George also criticized the disciplinary committee that was set up to handle internal conflicts, arguing that it was biased toward a particular faction.
“The committee was headed by Chief Tom Ikimi, who is clearly on Atiku’s side. Even the secretary of the committee is aligned with Atiku. I refused to join because the process was flawed from the start,” he explained.
PDP Convention Looms Amid Internal Crisis
With the PDP set to hold its national convention by October or November, George believes that urgent steps must be taken to resolve internal conflicts and restore party unity.
As tensions rise over Wike’s actions, political observers are watching closely to see how the PDP leadership will respond to this latest challenge.
