ABUJA, Nigeria — The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revoked the land allocated to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for its national secretariat in Abuja due to the party’s failure to pay ground rent for 20 years.
The revocation notice, dated 13 March 2025, was issued on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, and signed by the Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze.
The notice, titled “Notice of Right of Occupancy with File No: MISC 81346 in Respect of Plot No: 243 within Central Area District, Abuja,” cited the PDP’s failure to pay annual ground rents from 1 January 2006 to 1 January 2025, despite multiple reminders published in national dailies and electronic media.
The letter stated, “I have been directed to refer to the above Right of Occupancy granted to PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), NATIONAL SECRETARIAT and inform you that the Minister of Federal Capital Territory has, in the exercise of powers conferred on him under the Land Use Act No. 6 of 1978, Cap. L5, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, revoked your rights, interests, and privileges over Plot No. 243 within Central Area, Cadastral Zone A00, Abuja.”
It added, “The revocation is in view of your continued contravention of the terms and conditions of grant of the Right of Occupancy by failing to pay the annual ground rents due on the property for twenty (20) years, from 1st of January 2006 to 1st of January 2025. This is despite the many publications made by the FCT Administration since 2023 in several national dailies and on electronic media requesting all allottees of plots in the Federal Capital Territory to pay up every outstanding bill and ground rent on their property.”
The minister emphasised that the PDP’s failure to comply with the terms of the Right of Occupancy violated Section 28, Subsections 5(a) and (b) of the Land Use Act. He stated that the FCTA would take immediate possession of the property until all outstanding bills are settled.
This development follows Wike’s earlier approval to revoke 4,794 land titles in the FCT over non-payment of ground rent, estimated at N6.9 billion for more than 40 years.
A statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, revealed that a total of 8,375 property owners in high-profile districts such as the Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape had not paid ground rent for 43 years.
Olayinka noted that the revocation followed multiple publications and announcements by the FCT Administration since 2023, urging defaulters to settle their outstanding bills.
“It is important to state that payment of ground rent on landed properties in the FCT is founded on extant legislation. It is clearly stipulated in the terms and conditions of the grant of Right of Occupancy, and it is due for payment on the first day of January, each year, without demand,” he said.
The PDP’s national secretariat, located in the heart of Abuja, is a significant political landmark.
Its revocation marks a bold move by the FCT Administration to enforce compliance with land use regulations and recover unpaid revenues.
The PDP has yet to issue an official response to the revocation notice.
