The much-anticipated National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was billed to come up in less than 24hrs when the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) directed its staff to sealed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. This is coming amidst political turbulence the main opposition is facing with a deepening internal crisis with FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who is widely seen as the main villain behind the PDP travail.
Recall Wike withdrew from peace agreements that were aimed at resolving the brewing conflict that has been rocking the party, insisting he would not support the NEC meeting unless his ally, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, is recognized as the party’s national secretary.
Earlier, the FCT Minister had threatened to revoke and repossess 4,794 properties over the non-payment of ground rent. Among which the PDP national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, located in Wuse Zone 5, was part of the properties and its permanent secretariat still under construction in the Central Business District of the city.
Around 2:06 p.m. yesterday, Wike unleashed a team of FCTA officials led by Lere Olayinka, spokesperson to the FCT Minister, and Chijioke Nwankwoeze, Director of Land Administration, arrived at the Wadata Plaza and locked the main entrance gate.
The FCTA officials throw their weight behind its earlier notice that it would reclaim properties affected by the revocation of land titles for ground rent debts ranging between 10 and 43 years.
Briefing newsmen shortly after the gate was sealed, Olayinka dismissed suggestions that the move was politically motivated.
“We are not here for politics,” he said. “If you’re talking about a political witch hunt, we’ve already gone to Ibro Hotels, Access Bank, FIRS, and Total Petrol Station. We’re also going to other places tomorrow (Tuesday). So are all those ones political too?”
He insisted the exercise would continue until all affected properties are recovered.
Nwankwoeze also explained that all affected property owners, including Senator Samaila Mamman Kofi, the original titleholder of Wadata Plaza, were duly notified.
“Senator Samaila Mamman Kofi was served a revocation notice, and out of an abundance of caution, we also pasted it here. His address on record is in Kaduna, and he was duly served there,” Nwankwoeze added.
“This is a copy of the revocation notice and evidence of service, showing he was served on 14 March 2025. A copy was also pasted at the gate of this building.”
Closure an attempt to muzzle opposition – PDP
Reacting to the development, PDP acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, described the seal-off as an attempt to gag democracy and stifle the opposition. He blamed the action on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government. Damgum warned that the PDP would not be intimidated.
He said, “I want to tell you—and I’m sure you already know—that our national office has been sealed. This is the height of irresponsibility by this government. If they’re encouraging it, we won’t take it lightly,” he told journalists after a caucus meeting of the party. “In fact, they can come and arrest all of us. We are ready. But we totally condemn this. It is unacceptable, and we won’t tolerate it. They are trying to undermine democracy, and they will have us to contend with. “This meeting will continue here tomorrow at 10 a.m.”
Damagum said a committee had been constituted to address key issues and would present a report when the meeting resumes.
“As you can see, we’ve adjourned our meeting till tomorrow by 10. We’ve set up a small committee that will report back to us in the morning,” he added. “We’ll properly brief you once the meeting concludes.”
It was learned that PDP caucus was using the night to assess the legal viability of holding Tuesday’s NEC meeting without running afoul of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines or risking further litigation.
A caucus member hinted that the committee was expected to liaise with INEC officials to ensure all procedures conformed to the commission’s regulations.
“Most members of the caucus support going ahead with the NEC meeting tomorrow, but the party doesn’t want to give aggrieved individuals an excuse to run to court,” the source said.
“The committee is consulting with the relevant stakeholders to ensure everything is done properly. The biggest issue is whether INEC will recognise the names signing off on official documents and correspondence, which could help avoid any legal hurdles.”
At the heart of the PDP’s current crisis is a survival battle of who should control the party structure ahead of the 2027 general election.
It was learned that while Wike is determined to muzzle the party to align with President Bola Tinubu’s re-election interests, PDP governors—led by Bala Mohammed of Bauchi and Seyi Makinde of Oyo—are resisting such moves.
The internal wrangling was on full display Monday night, as the caucus meeting ended in a stalemate. Sources said the deep divisions over the control of the party and legitimacy of key national officers left the meeting unable to reach a consensus.
Attendees at the meeting included members of the National Working Committee (NWC), led by Damagum and acting National Secretary Setonji Koshoedo; the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Bala Mohammed; and the Board of Trustees (BoT), led by Senator Adolphus Wabara with Senator Ahmed Makarfi as secretary.
Despite hours of deliberation, the caucus failed to agree on a clear path forward.
Tinubu wave 14-day grace period
Meanwhile, following mounting public criticism over the mass revocation of property titles, the FCTA announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed a 14-day moratorium for defaulters to settle their debts.
In a statement signed by Nwankwoeze and shared by Wike’s media aide, it was revealed that affected property holders could now pay up their ground rent alongside penalties within the window.
“For properties in the Central Area, the sum of N5 million will be paid by defaulters as a penalty, in addition to the ground rent owed,” the statement said.
“Those in Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse II, and Guzape Districts will pay N3 million, while those in Wuse I, Garki I, and Garki II will pay N2 million, all in addition to outstanding rent.”
Nwankwoeze further disclosed that individuals who acquired properties without perfecting title documents through the mandatory minister’s consent now have two weeks to regularise their ownership with the Department of Land Administration.
“Furthermore, the Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, has granted a 14-day grace period for all property holders in the FCT to pay their Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) or Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) bills or risk revocation,” the statement warned.
Analyst Perspective
Dr Abubakar Kari of the University of Abuja, described the development as “not unexpected”, noting that the FCTA had previously warned defaulters. However, he said that while the action may be legally justifiable, its timing and execution were politically questionable.
“On the surface, it will appear they are just doing their job,” Kari said. “But the reality is that it’s likely to be interpreted as politics—and I think it is.”
He argued that regardless of the legality of the FCTA’s action, the fact that it targeted the headquarters of Nigeria’s main opposition party cannot be ignored. According to him, many Nigerians will view it as part of a broader agenda by the APC-led federal government to undermine the PDP.
“Whenever you mix governance with politics, politics dominates. The primary issue becomes who is affected—and in this case, it’s the PDP. That’s why many will see it as political persecution,” he added.
Dailytrust.
