Leadership Tussle Rocks Border Communities Agency as Wike’s Ally Refuses to Vacate Office
By Victor Idajili
A leadership crisis has erupted at the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) after Dr. Dakorinama Alabo George refused to vacate office despite being replaced by the Presidency.
The Presidency, in a statement on June 26 by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced the appointment of Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas, a former House of Representatives member, as the new Director General of the agency. The statement said Namdas replaces George, who resigned to contest for an elective office.
But weeks after the announcement, George, a former Commissioner of Works in Rivers State under Nyesom Wike and Siminalayi Fubara, remains in office and is still carrying out official duties.
In March, President Bola Tinubu directed all political appointees seeking elective positions in the 2027 general elections to resign on or before March 31, 2026, in line with Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 and INEC’s timetable.
George, an APC governorship aspirant in Rivers State, was among those expected to step down. He was listed and cleared during the APC screening of 80 aspirants on May 11, 2026, but withdrew from the race days before the primaries on May 21, paving the way for Kingsley Chinda, Wike’s preferred candidate, who emerged as the party’s flag bearer.
Sources said that after failing to secure the ticket, George returned to the BCDA office and retained control of agency property without handing over.
On the BCDA website, George is still listed as “Executive Secretary” under the name Dr. George D. A. Kelly. Last week, he attended a meeting with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, to seek timely release of the N50 billion allocation to the agency in the 2026 budget. Photos of the meeting were posted on Facebook.
In a WhatsApp message that was later deleted, George denied resigning and said “an error was made and it was quickly corrected.” He directed inquiries to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Supporters of George have also circulated posts on Facebook claiming that President Tinubu had reversed his replacement.
But the Presidency dismissed the claim. When asked, Onanuga responded: “Not true. Namdas stays.”
Namdas represented the Ganye/Jada/Mayo Belwa/Toungo federal constituency of Adamawa State in the 8th House of Representatives, where he served as spokesperson. He was also a governorship aspirant in Adamawa and previously served as Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Boni Haruna.
President Tinubu had first appointed George as Director-General of the BCDA on March 14, 2024.
Sources within the agency allege that George enjoys the backing of some government officials, including the FCT Minister, who nominated him for the BCDA role in 2024. Other sources claim his backers are working with powerful officials in the Presidency to keep him in office without the President’s knowledge.
Efforts to get a response from Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications to the FCT Minister, were unsuccessful.
