When paying your bills becomes ‘threat to democracy’

The Peoples Democratic Party has outdone itself this time. When the Federal Capital Territory Administration task force sealed their national headquarters on Monday over unpaid ground rent, the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, declared it “the height of irresponsibility” and a threat to democracy.

I had to read Damagum’s statement three times to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating. So when did paying your debts become an assault on democracy? When did fulfilling basic obligations transform into political persecution?

Trust our politicians to always turn molehills into mountains and make themselves martyrs when caught red-handed. The PDP owes ground rent – a simple, straightforward debt – yet they’ve managed to spin this into a grand conspiracy against democracy. If this isn’t peak Nigerian politics, I don’t know what is.

Damagum thundered: “They are trying to mar democracy, and this is unacceptable.” Really? So landlords collecting rent from tenants is now anti-democratic? Should we tell every property owner in Nigeria that demanding payment is an attack on our constitutional order?

Come to think of it, would the acting chairman refuse to pay ground rent if he owned property in London or New York? Would he stand at Heathrow Airport screaming about threats to democracy when immigration officials demand his visa fees? The answer is obvious – he’d pay without blinking an eye.

But this is Nigeria, where our politicians have perfected the art of emotional blackmail. They know exactly which buttons to press to get Nigerians riled up. Mention “democracy under threat” and watch otherwise sensible people abandon logic and start marching in solidarity.

The questions we should be asking are simple: Why did the PDP owe ground rent in the first place? How long had this debt been outstanding? What prevented them from settling this obligation like any responsible organisation should?

The answer is equally simple – impunity. Our big men have grown so comfortable with getting away with things that paying basic bills has become optional. They’ve been conditioned to believe that rules don’t apply to them, that they can sweet-talk or bribe their way out of any obligation.

I’ve seen this movie before. Remember when some governors owed salaries for months and claimed it was because the federal government wasn’t releasing allocations? Yet these same governors were building new mansions and buying exotic cars. When workers protested, they were told to be patient and patriotic.

Now the PDP wants us to believe that sealing their office over unpaid rent is political witch-hunting. Next, they’ll tell us that NEPA disconnecting electricity over unpaid bills is also an assault on democracy. Or that banks demanding loan repayments are enemies of progress.

What’s particularly galling is Damagum’s threat: “They can come and arrest all of us. We are ready for that.” Arrest you for what? For owing rent? Nobody is threatening to arrest anyone – they simply want their money. This is pure theatrics designed to distract from the real issue.

If the PDP has evidence that the ruling All Progressive Congress owes similar debts, they should provide it. If they can prove this is selective enforcement, let them present the facts. But crying wolf without evidence is just cheap politics.

The weaponisation of ethnicity, religion, and now “democracy under threat” whenever our politicians are called to account must stop. We’ve seen this playbook too many times. Steal public funds, and when caught, claim you’re being persecuted because you’re Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Christian, or Muslim. And sadly, there’s always a ready pool of Nigerians willing to defend their kinsmen regardless of guilt.

This is why we remain stuck in this cycle of mediocrity. We want accountability but only when it affects “the other tribe.” We demand good governance but excuse bad behaviour when it’s perpetrated by “our own people.” We can’t eat our cake and have it.

The PDP should simply pay their rent and move on. This is not rocket science. Every responsible organisation pays its bills. Even religious organisations pay ground rent without claiming persecution. Why should political parties be different?

Instead of all this drama, the PDP should be focusing on how to present better alternatives to Nigerians in 2027. They should be developing policies, building structures, and reconnecting with the grassroots. But it’s easier to create distractions and play victim than do the hard work of opposition politics.

What’s even more annoying is how our politicians think Nigerians are gullible. They believe they can commit the most basic infractions and spin them into political persecution. They underestimate our intelligence and overestimate our sentimentality.

Truth is, nobody is witch-hunting the PDP. If you don’t have skeletons in your cupboard, nobody will find bones to pick with you. Pay your bills, follow the rules, and conduct yourselves with dignity. It’s that simple.

The FCTA task force was simply doing its job – collecting debts owed to government. Should they have ignored the PDP because they’re a political party? Should rules apply to everyone except politicians? That’s not how functional societies work.

We all complain about corruption and impunity, yet when the system tries to hold someone accountable – even for something as basic as unpaid ground rent – we find excuses. We want a working system but refuse to pay the price for that system.

Democracy is not under threat because a political party was asked to pay its rent. Democracy would be under threat if we allowed some people to operate above the law simply because of their political status.

As we head toward 2027, our politicians need to understand that Nigerians are getting smarter. We’re tired of the same old tricks. We want leaders who take responsibility, not those who turn every accountability measure into a conspiracy theory.

So, PDP, please go and pay your ground rent. Democracy will survive. In fact, it might even get stronger when politicians learn that nobody is above the law – not even former ruling parties. Pay your bills or pack your load. It’s that simple.