Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Dele Momodu, has praised President Bola Tinubu for suspending the sealing of properties in Abuja over unpaid ground rent—a move he described as a clear indication that the president is firmly in control of his administration.
On Monday, May 26, the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA), under the direction of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, sealed several commercial properties in the capital city. The affected premises included banks, petrol stations, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) office, and notably, the PDP’s national secretariat. The enforcement action was linked to unpaid ground rents totaling billions of Naira.
However, following public criticism and backlash from affected property owners, President Tinubu intervened and ordered a temporary suspension of the enforcement. He also granted defaulters a 14-day grace period to settle their outstanding payments.
Reacting to the development via Instagram, Momodu commended Tinubu for the timely intervention, calling it a strategic check on what he described as Wike’s “excesses.”
“Thank you, President Tinubu. I have just read the news here in America that you have stepped into the matter involving your cantankerous Minister of FCT, Mr. Nyesom Wike, who sealed the National Secretariat of the PDP—your party’s major opposition—and other defaulters in Abuja,” Momodu wrote.
“While no one should condone failure to meet government obligations, government must also act with restraint and avoid actions that appear vindictive. Mr. Wike, who is fast becoming a liability to your administration, acted in a manner that many see as politically motivated. Your decision to stop him today earned you several points.”
Momodu also seized the opportunity to urge President Tinubu to rein in Wike’s political activities in Rivers State, where the FCT Minister is locked in a prolonged power struggle with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“We used to think Nigeria had two presidents—Tinubu and Wike. But now we know Wike has a boss who can check his excesses,” he said. “I only wish you had also halted his reckless disruption of Governor Sim Fubara’s administration in Rivers State and spared the people there from further instability and hardship.”
He continued: “Nigerians are already enduring serious hardship, and they don’t need Wike’s additional burden or constant provocations. His portfolio is far less demanding than that of Minister Dave Umahi, yet Umahi remains humble and focused, while Wike behaves as if he runs his own parallel government.”
Momodu concluded with a pointed remark: “Sir, there cannot be two captains in one ship. I hope Wike got that message loud and clear from your decisive intervention today.”
