The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has strongly dismissed claims by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the revocation of its land title was a deliberate attempt to suppress opposition. Speaking during a visit by the Body of Benchers in Abuja on Friday, Wike, who is also a life bencher, expressed disappointment over the allegations.
He clarified that the revocation of land titles, such as the PDP’s land in Central Area, Abuja, was not politically motivated, but rather a result of non-payment of mandatory ground rent. The PDP, despite generating significant revenue from the sale of party forms, failed to pay the N7.6 million rent for over a decade.
Wike also highlighted that the PDP’s National Secretariat at Wadata Plaza was not registered in the party’s name, but under a Senator’s ownership, who had also neglected to pay ground rent for 28 years. The minister questioned why the PDP was accusing him of targeting the party when the issue was rooted in unpaid dues.
The minister emphasized that similar actions had been taken against various institutions and individuals, including the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria, for the same reason. Wike made it clear that no one, regardless of status, would be spared from land title revocation due to overdue rent.
Wike’s recent approval of the revocation of nearly 5,000 land titles for failure to pay ground rent underscored his commitment to enforcing the policy fairly.