The Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, said the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has taken over the new national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for failure to pay ground rent for 20 years.
The secretariat which is located at the Central Business District (CBD) of Abuja, is among the 4,794 land titles revoked by the minister.
PDP began the construction of the 12-storey building in 2006, and is at completion level when it seemed to have been abandoned shortly before the party lost power in 2015.
The former National Chairman Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, visited the property early 2022 immediately after he assumed office and indicated plan to commence work on the secretariat, but nothing happened thereafter.
There was rumoured revocation of the land immediately Wike was appointed minister by the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, because of the frosty relationship with his party, but he quickly denied it.
The minister in a statement by Director, Land Administration Chijioke Nwankwoeze, and dated March 13, said the right of occupancy of Plot No. 243 has been revoked, for failure “to pay the annual ground rents due on the property for twenty (20) years, from January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2025, despite many publications in several national dailies and electronic media.”
Wike stated that the revocation was in he exercise of powers conferred on him under the Land Use Act No. 6 of 1978, Cap. L5, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The takeover of the property by the FCTA is until all bills were settled.
It is not known how much PDP is indebted to the FCTA, but Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka said the cumulative sum of N6.9 billion is outstanding debts for more than 40 years by the 4,794 defaulted land owners.
