Leon Usigbe, Author at Tribune Online

•Party blames Wike for political vendetta The national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja remained sealed by security operatives despite a presidential directive for it to be reopened, fueling allegations of political vendetta against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Ibro Hotel and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), all contiguous with PDP secretariat, which were initially sealed as well, were confirmed reopened on Wednesday for normal activities to resume. Party officials who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday expressed frustration over what they described as a deliberate refusal by the Wike-led FCT Administration to comply with the order reportedly issued by President Bola Tinubu some 48 hours after. According to them, the continued lockdown of the Wadata Plaza headquarters of Nigeria’s main opposition party is a brazen act of political intimidation and a direct attack on multiparty democracy. “This is no longer an administrative matter. The President gave a clear directive for the building and other property to be unsealed, but it is still under lock and key. We have every reason to believe the FCT Minister is using state instruments to settle political scores,” a senior PDP official said under condition of anonymity. The PDP secretariat was sealed on Monday by the FCTA through its Department of Development Control, which cited unpaid ground rent as justification. However, the action drew immediate backlash from party leaders who viewed it as a calculated attempt to cripple the party ahead of its crucial 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which held on Tuesday at an alternative venue - Legacy House, the party’s campaign headquarters in Maitama. Although, President Tinubu reportedly directed that the property be reopened following growing political pressure and media outcry, the FCT Administration has not complied. The situation has further strained relationship between Wike - a former PDP governor now serving in the APC-led administration - and many of his former party colleagues, who accused him of sabotaging the PDP from within. PDP insiders said the action was part of a broader plot to suppress opposition voices and foist a de facto one-party state. A communiqué issued at the end of Tuesday’s NEC meeting condemned the attempt by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to “strip and annihilate opposition parties” through “open threats and intimidation of opposition figures and institutions of democracy.” ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE: PDP labels Tinubu’s two years a ‘nightmare’ “The continued sealing of our secretariat is symbolic of what Nigeria’s democracy is turning into under the APC. What else could explain this deliberate disobedience of a presidential directive?” said another party chieftain. The move to shut down the PDP secretariat came amid renewed tensions within the party, including recent high-profile defections and internal wrangling over leadership positions. Yet, party leaders insisted on Tuesday that the PDP remains “strong, united, and resilient,” vowing to resist any attempt to silence the opposition. As the 2027 election cycle approaches, political observers warn that the increasing use of state power to settle partisan disputes could further erode public trust in democratic institutions and fuel political instability.