Tension as Wike, Tinubu's allies clash about top agency's head
- Dr Dakorinama Alabo George, replaced as BCDA Executive Secretary by President Tinubu, refused to vacate the office and continued holding official engagements weeks after his replacement was announced
- The Presidency confirmed that Abdulrazak Sa'ad Namdas remains the new BCDA Director General, flatly rejecting social media claims that George had been reappointed
- George met with the Finance Minister last Thursday to discuss budget releases for the agency, even as his profile continued to appear on the BCDA website as its serving head
A fresh governance crisis has emerged at the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), where ousted Executive Secretary Dr Dakorinama Alabo George has refused to relinquish control of the agency weeks after President Bola Tinubu publicly named his replacement.
On June 26, 2026, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced that former House of Representatives member Abdulrazak Sa'ad Namdas had been appointed the new Director General of the BCDA, with George described as having resigned to pursue a governorship bid in Rivers State. The statement confirmed that all new appointments were effective immediately.
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Source: Twitter
Despite this public declaration, George has continued to operate from the agency's offices. Sources told Daily Trust that while he formally resigned to contest the APC governorship ticket in Rivers State, he never handed over to any successor and quietly retained effective control of the agency's operations and property.
George's governorship gambit and the return
Records from an APC screening exercise dated May 11, 2026, show George, listed as "Dr George Alabo" at number 65 on a list of 80 screened aspirants, was cleared to contest. He ultimately withdrew just before the primaries on May 21, 2026, stepping aside to support Kingsley Chinda, the candidate backed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. Sources say George returned to the BCDA offices after failing to secure the ticket.
One source told Daily Trust that George is being protected by influential officials, including allies in the FCT Ministry. "It was Wike who nominated him for the BCDA position in 2024," the source said, adding that some backers were working with "powerful officials in the Presidency" to keep George in place without the President's knowledge.
Supporters of George have gone further, circulating posts on Facebook claiming Tinubu reversed his own decision and reinstated George. The Presidency dismissed this outright. Onanuga, in a terse response, stated: "Not true. Namdas stays."
George meets finance minister, denies resignation
In the most visible sign of his continued occupation of the role, George met Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele on Thursday, July 9, appealing for prompt budget releases to fund BCDA projects. During the meeting, he referenced the N50 billion allocation to the agency in the 2026 budget and appealed for timely disbursements to support infrastructure delivery in Nigeria's border communities.
In a since-deleted WhatsApp message to a Daily Trust correspondent, George denied ever resigning, directing the newspaper to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for clarification. He deleted the message hours later and did not respond to further inquiries.
His profile on the BCDA's official website continues to identify him as the agency's serving executive secretary. Efforts to obtain a response from Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to Minister Wike, were unsuccessful.
Source: Facebook
Fubara meets Wike's loyalists
Legit.ng earlier reported that all 23 Rivers state local government council chairmen declared support for President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid during a visit to Abuja on Monday, July 13.
The delegation attended the inauguration of FCT infrastructure projects commissioned as part of activities marking Tinubu's third anniversary in office.
ALGON Rivers chairman Sir Allwell Ihunda predicted a 2027 'walkover' for Tinubu, saying all major political parties in the state are aligned behind the President.
Source: Legit.ng
