Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has refuted the claim by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the revocation of its land title was a tactic to suppress opposition.
Wike made the statement during a visit by officials of the Body of Benchers, led by Chairman Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), in Abuja on Friday.
Wike, who is also a life bencher, expressed dismay over the PDP’s allegation that he had been instructed to revoke the party’s land title in Central Area, Abuja, to stifle opposition.
He pointed out that political, religious, and ethnic implications were often attached to every executive action in the country.
He clarified that the revocation of land titles for allottees who had failed to pay mandatory ground rent for over 10 years was often misinterpreted as a political move.
Wike highlighted that the PDP had been in power for years but could not pay the N7 million ground rent for its land title in the Central Area, where it was constructing its National Secretariat.
He noted that in spite of generating between N13 billion and N20 billion through the sale of party forms, the PDP had not paid the ground rent, which amounted to N7.6 million.
Wike further explained that the Wadata Plaza, where the PDP’s National Secretariat was located, was not registered as a property of the party but was instead registered under a Senator residing in Abuja.
He noted that the registered owner had failed to pay the ground rent for 13 years, but the PDP continued to claim that he was targeting their secretariat.
“Maybe they had a deal with the man and did not complete the deed of assignment and were shouting oh, they sent Wike to revoke the land as a ploy to kill opposition.
“What kind of mentality is that?” Wike questioned.
He emphasised that the land revocation was not unique to the PDP, stating that other institutions, such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had also had their land titles revoked for similar reasons.
He mentioned that CBN had been requesting the reversal of its land title revocation, and he had informed them that if they paid their ground rent, the land would be returned.
Wike also advised the Body of Benchers to ensure they paid their ground rent, warning that no defaulting land allottee would be spared.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Wike had approved the revocation of 4,794 land titles on March 17, 2025, due to non-payment of ground rent for over 10 years, affecting individuals, corporate organisations, and government institutions.
