Wike Should’ve Paid PDP Rent Debt, Bode George Says

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Bode George, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has stated that Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), should have paid off the ground rent of the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

George stated this during an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, saying that Wike should have offset the debt to show appreciation to the party that made him “what he is today”.

The African Examiner recalls that on Monday, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) sealed off the PDP national secretariat in Abuja because of an alleged failure to pay ground rent.

The PDP headquarters was closed as part of the enforcement efforts of the FCTA, which had earlier cancelled 4,794 land titles in Wuse, Maitama, Asokoro, and Garki over “years of unpaid ground rents”.

According to FCTA officials, 8,375 property owners collectively owe about N6.97 billion, with some debts dating back more than 40 years.

Subsequently, President Bola Tinubu gave a 14-day ultimatum so that defaulting property owners can pay their alleged ground rent debts.

Speaking concerning the matter, George stated that since Wike is a PDP member, he should have thought of the benefits he has received from the party before taking the action.

According to George, Wike had occupied lots of political positions on the platform of the PDP since 1999.

“We were told we had not paid N7 million, and so we defaulted on the ground rent,” George said.

“The painful part of it is that the minister is also a member of our party. They waited until the day we were to hold our NEC meeting to shut down the place.

“Talking as an African, culturally, let us look at it as his father’s house where he grew up, where he went to school and became a public personality. What do you do to pay back that family?

“Look at the appointments he had held. He has benefited from the PDP massively.

“He should have just said to them, ‘okay, N7 million, I’ll pay from my pocket. Take the receipt back to the party’s secretariat.

“And say, ‘you see, you people are foolish. I’m completely committed to this house; I am completely loyal to this house. I will not decimate it. This is the receipt, give me back my money.

“That is what you call a true son of that family.”

George also alleged that the building being occupied by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the FCT is also owing billions of naira in ground rent.

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