In a case of dog eating dog, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, will on Monday seal up the National secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja and 4793 other properties.
Wike, a PDP chieftain and former governor of Rivers State will openly invalidate the properties, which were revoked by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in March 2025.
This was disclosed jointly by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze and Director Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday.
According to Olayinka: “Ownership of the revoked 4,794 properties in the Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama and Guzape districts, had already reverted to the FCTA, and as from Monday, next week, the government will begin to exercise its rights of ownership on the affected landed properties.
“As usual, this will be done without consideration as to ownership of the affected landed properties. It will be purely in line with extant laws and regulations guiding the process.”
He said the affected properties will be sealed up and access to them restricted beginning from Monday, adding that the FCTA will decide what to do with the affected properties in due course.
Olayinka recalled that on March 18, 2025, “we informed you of the revocation of 4,794 land titles in the Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama and Guzape districts.
On the claim that some people went to court, the Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze stated that there was no court decision on the revocation, and as such, the FCTA is not restricted in the discharge of its lawful functions on the affected properties.
He disclosed that the FCTA was already compiling records of compliance and non-compliance of title holders that were in default of payment of Ground Rent for between one and ten years, who were given a grace of 21 Days to pay up.
He said the government will act accordingly as soon as the records are fully compiled and analyzed.
It was learnt that the properties to be sealed include the popular Wadata plaza that currently houses the national secretariat of the PDP as well as the new national secretariat at plot Number 243 within Central Area District, Abuja.
Nwankwoeze had clarified that although the property currently occupied by the PDP in Wadata Plaza was among those revoked and to be sealed on Monday, it was not in the name of the PDP.
“The one in Zone 5, where they are currently occupying as their national headquarters, does not belong to PDP. It belongs to Samaila Mamang Ofu.
And the revocation notice has been served on him at his Kaduna address – the address on record. We did not serve any such notice on the PDP. The only one we served on them was the one for the central area. You don’t serve a revocation notice on a tenant or an occupier. You serve it on the title holder – that’s what the law says.
“And I want to also mention that we are talking about 4,794 titles. There are so many people who are affected. Government institutions, private organizations, private individuals – the Nigerian Postal Authority is there, the Central Bank of Nigeria is there, NNPC is there, INF is there, the Nigerian Universities Commission is there, NNPC is there,
Borno State Government is there, NDDC is there, the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria is there, the Federal Ministry of Environment is there, the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company is there – and so many others. It’s not only PDP.”
These 4,794 properties were among the total of 8,375 land titles on which Ground Rent was not paid from one year to 43 years.
We did say then that consequent upon the revocation of these titles, ownership of the affected properties have reverted to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA)”
“As from Monday, May 26, 2025, the FCTA will begin to take possession of the affected properties, using relevant agencies of government.”
