In a dramatic turn of events, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suffered a double blow within 24 hours, as the party’s national secretariat was revoked by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration, and President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State.
On Monday, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike announced the revocation of 4,794 land titles due to non-payment of ground rent. Among the affected properties was the PDP National Secretariat.
A notice dated March 13, 2025, and signed by Chijioke Nwankwoeze, Director of Land Administration, stated that the opposition party had failed to pay its annual ground rent for two decades, from January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2025.
Despite multiple reminders published in national newspapers and electronic media, the party did not settle its outstanding bills.
“I am to further inform you that the subject property (Plot No. 243 Central Area, Cadastral Zone A00, Abuja) has thus reverted to the Federal Capital Territory Administration, and the Administration will take immediate possession thereof,” Nwankwoeze stated on behalf of the minister.
Reacting to the development, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, condemned the revocation, calling it “a drive towards totalitarianism and an attempt to stifle opposition.”
He also revealed that the revocation order extended to both the temporary and permanent offices of the party, describing it as a threat to democracy.
As the PDP leadership convened an emergency meeting to address the issue, another political storm hit the party.
President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, which is governed by the PDP.
The president justified his decision by citing threats from militants who had vowed to destroy oil pipelines if Governor Siminalayi Fubara was impeached.
He stated that his efforts to mediate the crisis had failed due to the refusal of the warring parties to compromise.
To manage the situation, Tinubu appointed a retired naval officer to oversee the state’s affairs for six months, effectively sidelining Fubara and the state lawmakers.
The move sparked outrage from PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who strongly criticized Tinubu’s decision.
In a statement he personally signed on Tuesday night, Atiku accused the president of interfering in the Rivers crisis for political gain.
“Anyone paying attention to the unfolding crisis knows that Bola Tinubu has been a vested partisan actor in the political turmoil engulfing Rivers. His blatant refusal — or calculated negligence — in preventing this escalation is nothing short of disgraceful.
“Beyond the political scheming in Rivers, the brazen security breaches that led to the condemnable destruction of national infrastructure in the state land squarely on the President’s desk. Tinubu cannot evade responsibility for the chaos his administration has either enabled or failed to prevent.
“It is an unforgivable failure that under Tinubu’s watch, the Niger Delta has been thrown back into an era of violent unrest and instability — undoing the hard-won peace secured by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. Years of progress have been recklessly erased in pursuit of selfish political calculations.
“If federal infrastructure in Rivers has been compromised, the President bears full responsibility. Punishing the people of Rivers State just to serve the political gamesmanship between the governor and Tinubu’s enablers in the federal government is nothing less than an assault on democracy and must be condemned in the strongest terms.”
