Wike denies PDP’s claim of using land revocation to suppress opposition
By Jeffrey Agbo
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has refuted the claim by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that its land title was revoked as a ploy to suppress the opposition.
The minister expressed surprise that every action of the Tinubu administration is interpreted to have political, religious and ethnic sentiments.
Wike spoke on Friday during a visit by officials of the Body of Benchers led by the chairman Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) in Abuja.
Wike, who is also a life bencher, said that the revocation of land titles of allottees who failed to pay mandatory ground rent for over 10 years was often misinterpreted as a political move.
Wike pointed out that the PDP had been in power for several years but could not pay the N7.6 million ground rent for its land title.
He noted that in spite of generating between N13 billion and N20 billion through the sale of party forms, the PDP had not paid the ground rent which amounted to N7.6 million.
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Wike further explained that the Wadata Plaza, where the PDP’s National Secretariat was located, was not registered as a property of the party but was instead registered under a Senator residing in Abuja.
He noted that the registered owner failed to pay the ground rent for 28 years but the PDP continued to claim that the minister was targeting its secretariat.
“Maybe they had a deal with the man and did not complete the deed of assignment and were shouting oh, they sent Wike to revoke the land as a ploy to kill opposition. What kind of mentality is that?” The minister asked.
Wike emphasised that the land revocation was not peculiar to the PDP, stating that other institutions such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), including individuals also had their land titles revoked for the same reason.
He said that CBN had been pleading for the reversal of the land title, “but I told the bank to pay the outstanding ground rent before the revocation will be reversed.”
Wike also advised the Body of Benchers to ensure they pay their ground rent, warning that no defaulting land allottee would be spared.
Wike approved the revocation of 4,794 land titles on March 17, 2025, due to non-payment of ground rent for over 10 years.
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