WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Lere Olayinka, a media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has alleged that some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are responsible for the revocation of the party’s headquarters by the FCT Administration. In a statement released on Saturday, March 22, Olayinka said PDP leaders like Bode George failed to pay the ground rent on the land title for 28 years. He said, “People’s Democratic Party (PDP) elders like Chief Bode George, should be blamed for the party’s failure to pay Ground Rent for 28 years, which is the reason for the revocation of the PDP’s national secretariat in Abuja, and not the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.” Olayinka in the statement said it is unfortunate that leaders like George who were in the PDP’s National Working Committee but failed to conclude the purchase of the Wadata Plaza National Secretariat of the PDP had the audacity to appear on television to blame Wike. Further stating the Wadata Plaza – currently being used by PDP as its national secretariat – is not owned by the party, Olayinka said the building belongs to Senator Samaila Kurfi, who bought the property from Wadata Enterprise Nigeria Limited. He added that in 2005, the PDP had made an attempt to purchase the property at a N26.9. million offer but the money was never paid. He said the party wrote to the then minister of FCT, Nasir El-Rufai, also a member of the PDP for a waiver but he (El-Rufai) insisted that the payment must made. “And if the owner of the building did not pay ordinary N2.8 million as 28 years Ground Rent, who is to blame?” Olayinka queried. On the proposed site for the PDP’s national secretariat which is located in Central Area, Olayinka said the party also failed to pay N7.6 million – an accumulation of 20 years ground rent – despite raising over N21 billion for the construction of the building in 2014. He added, “If Chief Bode George had sought necessary information and refrained himself from acting out of hatred for Wike, it would have been known to him that also affected by the revocation were government owned institutions.”
Wike’s aide reveals party leaders responsible for revocation of PDP HQ land title
