By Nafisa M Adam, Abuja
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dealt a significant blow to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by revoking its right of occupancy of the national secretariat in Abuja. The reason? The party’s failure to pay annual ground rents for 20 years, from January 2006 to January 2025 [1].
The FCT Administration had been sending reminders to the PDP to settle its outstanding bills and ground rents since 2023, but the party didn’t comply. As a result, Wike revoked the PDP’s rights, interests, and privileges over the plot of land, citing Section 28, Subsection 5 (a) and (b) of the Land Use Act [1].
The revocation notice which was signed by the Director, Land Administration, Mr Chijioke Nwankoeze, on behalf of the Miniister, was issued on March 13, 2025, and the FCT Administration has directed that it take immediate possession of the property until all outstanding bills are settled. This move is seen as a warning to other property owners in the FCT who may be defaulting on their payment obligations [1].