Wike flouts Tinubu’s order, yet to unseal PDP headquarters

Despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to unseal properties confiscated over unpaid ground rent, the national headquarters of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), remains locked.

On Monday, officials from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) carried out a mass sealing of properties, prompting widespread concern. In response, President Tinubu intervened, ordering the unsealing of affected properties.

The President granted defaulters a 14-day window to settle their outstanding ground rent along with a N2 million penalty. He also urged them to regularize their land titles before the deadline.

However, when journalists visited the PDP headquarters at Wuse Zone 5 in Abuja around 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, the premises were still padlocked, with an official FCTA seal affixed beside the lock.

Some staff of the party were seen sitting outside the main gate, while others loitered around, lamenting the development.

A staff member who spoke with newsmen off the record, said he suspects that there is an underlying instruction that PDP should not be opened.

He said, “I was here yesterday when the FCTA staff came around. They went to FIRS, Ibro Hotel, NAPTIP and unsealed all of them. When they got to our office, they quickly drove away.

“I followed them to their office and met with the director of Lands but he said that they are still waiting for instructions from AGIS to unseal PDP.”

The PDP is yet to issue an official reaction to the latest development.

After the building was sealed on Monday, Umar Damagum, Acting National Chairman of the party, had condemned the action of FCTA, describing it as “the highest irresponsibility” from the government.

“In fact, if they want to arrest all of us, we are ready for that,” he said.

He added that the party would not tolerate such actions, which he believes were aimed at undermining democracy.

“They are trying to mar democracy, and this is not acceptable. We condemn it and assure them they will have to contend,” he added.

Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been having a running battle with the opposition party.