BREAKING: Wike’s Men Defy Tinubu’s Order, Refuse to Unseal PDP Headquarters [PHOTOS]

Wike’s Men Defy Tinubu’s Order, Refuse to Unseal PDP Headquarters

 

 

More than 24 hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the unsealing of properties shut down over ground rent defaults, the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja remains sealed—fueling speculations of political undertones in the ongoing impasse.

 

Located in Wuse Zone 5, the main office of Nigeria’s leading opposition party has remained inaccessible since it was locked up by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Monday.

 

Despite Tinubu’s public directive to unseal all affected properties and grant defaulters a 14-day grace period to settle outstanding fees—subject to a N2 million penalty—the PDP office remains under lock and key.

When reporters visited the premises on Wednesday morning, the gate was visibly padlocked, bearing an FCTA seal. Dozens of PDP staff were seen gathered outside the gate, some seated, others pacing restlessly. Frustration and confusion hung in the air.

 

“We watched them unseal FIRS, Ibro Hotel, and NAPTIP offices yesterday,” said a PDP staffer who requested anonymity. “But when they got to our gate, they just drove off without a word. It felt deliberate.”

 

The staff member further claimed that a visit to the Department of Lands under the FCTA yielded no concrete answers, with officials allegedly waiting for instructions from the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS).

 

The situation has raised fresh tensions between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition PDP. Although the Tinubu administration had initially moved to deescalate the controversy following public backlash over Monday’s mass sealing of properties, the continued lockdown of the PDP office has raised questions over who is calling the shots.

 

Acting PDP National Chairman Umar Damagum reacted sharply to the incident earlier this week, labeling the move “the height of irresponsibility” and accusing the government of stifling democratic institutions.

 

“If they want to arrest all of us, we are ready,” Damagum said. “They are trying to mar democracy, and this is not acceptable. We condemn it and assure them they will have to contend.”

 

The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike—a former PDP governor now working under the APC-led administration—has maintained a frosty relationship with the party since his controversial defection and subsequent appointment. Critics say the latest events reflect a deeper political vendetta playing out under the guise of administrative enforcement.

 

As of press time, the PDP has not issued an official statement in response to the headquarters remaining sealed, and the FCTA has also declined to comment on the specific reasons for the delay in compliance with the presidential directive.

 

With the President’s order seemingly ignored by operatives under his own administration, the standoff has spotlighted tensions within the federal government and raised alarms over the selective application of justice and the rule of law in the country’s capital.