Wike Locks PDP National Secretariat a Day to Scheduled NEC Meeting Alleging Unpaid Ground Rents

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Government’s alleged suppression of opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, took a strange twist Monday, May 26, when the national secretariat located at Michael Okpara Street, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja was sealed off by officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, over alleged unpaid ground rents.

The enforcement team, of policemen, soldiers, operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, National Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Road Traffic Department, VIO and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency among others, arrived the PDP office, popularly known as Wadata House by 2: 04pm.

Possibly aware of the emergency, the gates were already locked when the team arrived. According to eyewitnesses, after a few minutes without having access to the premises, the team sealed the office and chained the gates from outside.

However, they were persuaded to reopen the gate temporarily for staff to move out their vehicles and personal belongings after which it was locked again.
There were clear indications that the action may have political undertones.

Nyesom Wike, minister of FCT, is a member of PDP. He has been at loggerheads with his party since they changed the zoning policy to allow Atiku Abubakar, a northerner, become the presidential candidate of the party in 2023, when it was the turn of the South.

Since then, Wike has been on what is seen as internal protest against his party. He switched his support to Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of rival All Progressives Congress, APC, who won the election and rewarded him with a ministerial appointment.

The closure is more suspicious as it came about an hour to a scheduled board of trustees, BoT, meeting of PDP preparatory to the National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 27.

Consequently, the meeting of the National Caucus of the party is presently holding at Bauchi State Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.

The dramatic sealing of the party’s premises is seen as intimidation by Wike to further disorganise his emabattled party to the benefit of the ruling APC.

There is an internal battle within for the control of PDP. Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate in 2023, is poised to contest again in 2027 and Wike and his supporters are against this.

They want PDP to respect the party’s zoning policy which provides for power to rotate between the North and South. A Northerner, Muhammadu Buhari, having been president for eight years from 2015 to 2023, the argument is that the presidential candidate of the party should be a southerner.

This silent war continues. A plot is on to throw Wike out of the party on alleged anti-party activities. If that happens, it may lead to a fatal factionalisation of the party and long court cases without a certain end.

This is why party stakeholders are being cautious about how to handle the Wike conflict. It is a conflict with potential to cripple PDP.