…over inconsistent regulatory procedures
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has revoked the land allocation for the new Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Central Business Area of Abuja.
According to a statement released by the FCT Administration, the land allocation for the PDP’s proposed new headquarters, which had been a subject of controversy since its approval, has now been rescinded.
The Minister reportedly cited “inconsistent documentation and non-compliance with regulatory procedures” as primary reasons for the revocation.
Wike, who has been at the forefront of several administrative reforms in the FCT, emphasized that the move aligned with his administration’s commitment to transparency and the enforcement of land-use policies in the capital.
“The decision was taken in the interest of the public good and to uphold the integrity of our land administration system,” Wike was quoted to have said in a terse statement to the press.
In a swift riposte, the PDP condemned the action, describing it as politically motivated and an attempt to undermine the party’s growth and operations.
“This decision is an outright attack on the PDP and an attempt to stifle the opposition in the country,” the party said in a statement, vowing to challenge the revocation in court.
PDP’s revoked plot of land is one of the over 4,000 land allocations reportedly affected in the revocation, which the FCTA hinged on failure by allottees to pay ground rents for upwards of ten years. Many allottees of land in the centre if Abuja, according to the FCTA, had not paid Ground rents for 40 to 43 years.