The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed allegations by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the revocation of its land title was a deliberate move to weaken the opposition.
Speaking on Friday during a visit by officials of the Body of Benchers, led by Chairman Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), Wike expressed dismay over the PDP’s claim that he was instructed to revoke its land in Abuja’s Central Area. He noted that executive actions in Nigeria were often misinterpreted through political, religious, and ethnic lenses.
According to Wike, the PDP’s land title was revoked due to its failure to pay the required ground rent for over a decade, not for political reasons. He disclosed that despite generating between N13 billion and N20 billion from the sale of party forms, the PDP had not paid the N7.6 million ground rent for its National Secretariat land.
He further revealed that Wadata Plaza, the PDP’s current National Secretariat, was not officially registered under the party but under a senator residing in Abuja. The property owner had reportedly failed to pay the ground rent for 28 years.
“Maybe they had a deal with the man and did not complete the deed of assignment, and now they are shouting that Wike was sent to revoke the land to kill the opposition. What kind of mentality is that?” Wike questioned.
The FCT minister emphasized that the revocation of land titles was not exclusive to the PDP. He stated that other institutions, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), were also affected due to non-payment of ground rent.
Wike disclosed that the CBN had requested a reversal of its land revocation, but he insisted that outstanding fees must be cleared before any reconsideration.
He also urged the Body of Benchers to ensure compliance with ground rent payments, warning that no defaulters would be spared.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that on March 17, 2025, Wike approved the revocation of 4,794 land titles due to non-payment of ground rent for over 10 years. The affected parties included individuals, corporate organizations, and government institutions.
