I find it deeply disheartening—indeed, profoundly troubling—that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), instead of showing remorse or bowing their heads in shame, has chosen to raise a defiant and hypocritical voice against the legitimate enforcement action taken by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, in sealing their national headquarters, Wadata House.
For over a decade—perhaps even longer—the PDP failed to pay ground rent and other legally mandated property-related taxes. They blatantly flouted the law, ignoring their obligations with the characteristic arrogance of an entity long drunk on power. And yet, now that the law has finally caught up with them, they wail. They cry political persecution. They play the victim. But Nigerians are no longer deceived.
What we are witnessing is not just a political party trying to defend itself. We are witnessing the grotesque self-righteousness of a party that governed Nigeria for sixteen years, left a legacy of rot and dysfunction, and still behaves as though it is above accountability. Instead of expressing contrition, PDP operatives are spinning narratives and casting aspersions, all in a desperate attempt to avoid responsibility for their actions—or rather, their inaction.
Let’s be clear: Minister Wike did not seal Wadata House on a whim. This was not political vendetta, nor was it an act of partisan aggression. It was a legal and administrative measure rooted in the enforcement of existing statutes. The FCT authorities have a duty to enforce the law uniformly. If a small business owner or an ordinary resident defaults on rent or taxes, the government acts swiftly. Why then should a political party—no matter how prominent—be spared the consequences of the same law?
The PDP’s outrage reeks of the entitlement that has long defined its posture. This is the same party that once held the reins of power at the federal level, yet now demonstrates complete disregard for basic legal compliance. It is a tragic irony that those who once made and enforced laws now believe they are above them.
Even more astonishing is the audacity of the PDP to suggest that the minister’s action is politically motivated. This from a party that presided over some of the most brazen abuses of state power in our history—who weaponized institutions, looted the treasury, and perfected the culture of impunity. Now they shout about the rule of law?
This moment should serve as a reckoning. For far too long, Nigeria has operated on two tiers of justice: one for the powerful and connected, and another for the ordinary citizen. The sealing of Wadata House is not just about a building. It is symbolic. It represents the long-overdue dismantling of the myth that the elite can act without consequence.
Let it be known: those who default on their legal obligations must face the consequences, whether they are peasants or politicians, party chieftains or private citizens. Nigeria cannot afford to continue tolerating a culture where the well-connected live above the law, immune to scrutiny and consequence.
Rather than double down on denial, the PDP should take this as an opportunity for introspection. It should apologize to Nigerians, settle its obligations, and commit to a new era of responsibility and integrity—if it has any genuine intention of returning to national relevance.
But if this posture of arrogance and blame-shifting continues, Nigerians will have every reason to reject them again—at the polls and in the court of public opinion.
Wadata House may have been sealed physically, but what is even more sealed is the fate of any political party that refuses to respect the law in a democratic society.
Femi Adefemiwa is a public affairs analyst and advocate for accountable governance. He writes from New York.
Email: [email protected]
