Chief Bode George, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for ordering the sealing of the party’s national secretariat over unpaid ground rent.

The PDP headquarters in Abuja was shut down on Monday by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) due to a reported N7 million debt. The action was part of a broader clampdown on defaulters across upscale districts including Wuse, Maitama, Asokoro, and Garki.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, George expressed deep disappointment that Wike a long-standing PDP member authorized the move despite his long-standing ties to the party.

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

George, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, described Wike’s action as a betrayal, pointing out that the party had been instrumental to Wike’s political rise since 1999. “He has benefitted from the PDP massively,” George added. “He should have just said, ‘okay, N7 million, I’ll pay from my pocket… I am completely loyal to this house.’”

Drawing on African cultural values, George likened the PDP to Wike’s family home, arguing that a loyal son would not allow his family to be embarrassed in public. “That is what you call a true son of that family,” he said.

Although the FCTA later granted a 14-day reprieve to all affected defaulters following President Bola Tinubu’s intervention, George maintained that Wike missed a key opportunity to demonstrate his loyalty to the party.