Olabode George, a former Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has strongly criticized the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for revoking the party’s land title.
The FCT administration revoked the Certificate of Occupancy for Wadata Plaza, PDP’s national secretariat, because the party failed to pay ground rent. The government also revoked the title of the party’s unfinished national secretariat in the Central Area Business District of Abuja.
Wike claimed that PDP owed ₦7.6 million in rent despite generating between ₦13 billion and ₦20 billion from selling nomination forms over the years.
Reacting to this, Olabode George said in an interview with New Telegraph that Wike’s actions amount to declaring war on the PDP. He stated that although Wike is like a political son to him, the minister has now crossed the red line.
George also revealed that he was initially part of the Wike-led G5 governors before the 2023 elections. However, he distanced himself when the group started working against PDP’s interests.
He said: “Let me tell you something. When the crisis started in the PDP, they invited me as an elder to join the G5 governors and some other elders. I did but we fell out when we found that some of the things they are doing do not fall in line with the dictates of the party. And what Wike just did is completely unacceptable in any civilized situation.
“He has crossed the red line. Do you know why? During this same period of trying to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, he revoked the Certificate of Occupancy of our party’s secretariat. I want him to listen to me very carefully because he’s like my political son.
“It’s like you come from your community, and from that community, your home, your home village was there. Suddenly, you now became the local government chairman of that community.
“And the first exercise you did officially is to go revoke the Certificate of Occupancy of your father’s house, the house that produced you and the house where you got all kinds of things. What is the amount of money we owe, N7.2 million?
“It would have been more honourable if he put his hand in his pocket, and said, yes, you owe this, but I’m going to pay it because I am a thoroughbred son of the soil. I am a child of that house. It is that house that gave him the ticket to be chairman of the local government, made him the chief of staff to the governor, made him a minister, and became governor for eight years. Is that the way to say thank you?”
When asked if Wike’s actions show that he has abandoned the PDP, George agreed, adding that party leaders would appear irresponsible if they fail to take action against him.
He said: “Absolutely! What else? That’s what I said. As a general, I’m saying he has crossed the red line. Once you cross the red line, what are you looking for? The party has to met. We have to meet; the leaders and members of the Board of Trustees. We own the party in trust for members of the party.
“We own the assets and the liabilities of the party for the good of our people. If a young man has done what he did to say they should revoke the secretariat of our party, he has crossed the red line.
“He has declared an open war. And it’s such a shame. We would be seen as being irresponsible as leaders and elders if we don’t take action. Unfortunately, like I said, when those people started the disciplinary committee headed by Chief Tom Ikimi, I looked at the membership. Ikimi, yes, he’s on Atiku’s side.
“The secretary of that same committee is on Atiku’s side and they said I should come and be a member. I said, no, I cannot. First of all, Ikimi met me in this party.
“So, I cannot serve in that committee. Secondly, the way the thing was structured was warped. Where do you start from? So, I’m pleading with our people, we should go back. Fortunately, by October or November this year, we are going to have a convention.”
