The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has refuted claims by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the revocation of its land title was a deliberate move to suppress political opposition.

Wike made this clarification on Friday during a meeting with officials of the Body of Benchers, led by Chairman Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), in Abuja. The minister, who is also a life bencher, expressed disappointment over PDP’s allegations, emphasizing that land revocations were based on legal and financial obligations, not political motives.

Land Revocation Not Politically Motivated

He pointed out that executive actions in Nigeria are often wrongly interpreted through political, religious, or ethnic lenses. According to him, the revocation of land titles applies to all allottees who have failed to fulfill their mandatory ground rent payments for over a decade.

“The PDP was in power for years but failed to pay the N7.6 million ground rent for its land in the Central Area, where it was constructing its National Secretariat,” Wike stated.

He highlighted that despite generating between N13 billion and N20 billion from party nomination forms, the PDP had neglected its financial obligations regarding the land title.

Ownership Discrepancy of Wadata Plaza

Further debunking the PDP’s claims, Wike revealed that Wadata Plaza, which serves as the party’s National Secretariat, is not officially registered as PDP’s property. Instead, he disclosed that the land was registered under a Senator residing in Abuja, who had failed to pay the required ground rent for 28 years.

“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 to kill the opposition.’ What kind of mentality is that?” Wike remarked.

Land Revocation Affects Other Institutions, Not Just PDP

The minister clarified that the revocation exercise was not targeted at PDP alone but extended to other organizations, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“CBN has been pleading for a reversal, but I told them to pay the outstanding ground rent before any revocation could be reconsidered,” he explained.

Wike also advised the Body of Benchers to ensure their compliance with ground rent payments, stressing that defaulters, regardless of their status, would not be exempted.

FCTA’s Crackdown on Land Defaulters

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Wike had approved the revocation of 4,794 land titles on March 17, 2025. The decision affected individuals, corporate organizations, and government institutions that had defaulted on their land rent payments for over 10 years.

The minister’s stance reinforces the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCTA) commitment to enforcing compliance with land use regulations and financial obligations.