The Senior Special Assistant to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Lere Olayinka, has placed the blame for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) failure to pay ground rent on its elders, particularly Chief Bode George. This failure has led to the revocation of the PDP’s national secretariat land in Abuja. Olayinka defended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, stating that he is merely enforcing existing laws regarding land ownership and payment obligations.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Olayinka highlighted that the PDP has neglected to pay ground rent for its national secretariat for 28 years, which is the sole property owned by the party among the 4,794 land titles that were revoked. He pointed out that the party owed ₦7.6 million in ground rent for 20 years on this property, despite raising over ₦21 billion for its completion in 2014.
Olayinka elaborated on the historical context, noting that the PDP attempted to purchase the Wadata Plaza property in 2005 but failed to pay the required ₦26.9 million for the Minister’s Consent. Instead of fulfilling this obligation, the party requested a waiver from then-FCT Minister Nasir El-Rufai, which was ultimately denied.
In response to Chief Bode George’s recent criticism of Wike, wherein George claimed that Wike’s actions were an “open declaration of war” against the PDP, Olayinka criticized George for not holding El-Rufai accountable during his tenure as part of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC). He questioned why George did not speak out at that time regarding the failure to finalize the property purchase.
Olayinka also defended the revocation of land titles, emphasizing that it was a necessary enforcement of land regulations that affected not only the PDP but also various governmental institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. He urged party elders to seek accurate information before making public statements and to act responsibly rather than spreading misinformation about Wike’s actions.
