Wike revokes PDP’s National Secretariat land over 19 years of unpaid ground rent
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has officially revoked the land title for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat in Abuja.
This decision follows the opposition party’s failure to settle its outstanding ground rents for nearly two decades, an infraction the minister has described as an “unforgivable violation.”
In a letter dated 13 March 2025 and signed by the Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, the FCT authorities confirmed that the land, situated in Abuja’s Central Area District, had been reclaimed due to the PDP’s persistent non-compliance.
According to the letter, the ground rent arrears for the property had remained unsettled from 1 January 2006 to 1 January 2025, despite multiple public notifications issued by the FCTA urging compliance.
Wike, who has been spearheading the administration’s land reform initiatives, stated in the letter that the revocation aligns with his statutory powers under the Land Use Act. He stressed that the PDP’s continued breach of the occupancy terms had become untenable.
“This action has become necessary following the blatant disregard for repeated directives to clear the outstanding dues,” the letter stated.
The letter, signed by the Director of Land Administration, further elaborated on the party’s non-compliance, reiterating that the opposition had defaulted on ground rent payments for twenty years despite extensive publication in national newspapers and electronic media urging defaulters to settle their debts.
It read: “I have been directed to refer to the Right of Occupancy granted to the PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), NATIONAL SECRETARIAT, and inform you that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him under the Land Use Act No. 6 of 1978, Cap. L5, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, has revoked your rights, interests, and privileges over Plot No. 243 within Central Area, Cadastral Zone A00, Abuja.”
“The revocation is due to your continued breach of the terms and conditions attached to the Right of Occupancy by failing to meet your annual ground rent obligations for twenty (20) years, from 1 January 2006 to 1 January 2025. This is despite multiple publications made by the FCT Administration since 2023 in several national newspapers and electronic media, urging all allottees of plots in the Federal Capital Territory to clear outstanding dues.”
“You are hereby informed that these violations by the PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), NATIONAL SECRETARIAT (MISC 81346) contravene the provisions of Section 28, Subsection 5 (a) and (b) of the Land Use Act.”
The minister further declared that the FCTA would immediately assume possession of the party’s secretariat until all outstanding payments were resolved.
Reports indicate that Wike had previously sanctioned the revocation of 4,794 land titles in the FCT due to non-payment of ground rent, amounting to an estimated N6.9 billion in arrears accumulated over more than 40 years.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, on Monday, following a press briefing by the Director of Lands, Chijioke Nwankwoeze.
The statement revealed that a total of 8,375 property owners across Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape had failed to pay ground rent for the past 43 years.
Olayinka explained that these property owners owed a total of N6,967,980,119, while 4,794 land titles had been in default of ground rent payments for a decade or more.
He further noted that the revocation was carried out following several publications and public service announcements by the FCT Administration since 2023, emphasising that payment of ground rent is a legal requirement.
“It is essential to note that the FCTA had made multiple publications in national newspapers and broadcast media since 2023, urging defaulters to clear their outstanding bills and ground rent. Unfortunately, compliance remained minimal, as several allottees failed to meet their obligations.”
“Ground rent payments for properties in the FCT are legally mandated. They are explicitly stipulated in the terms and conditions of the Right of Occupancy grant and are due on the first day of January each year, without the need for further demand.”
