Minister Nyesom Wike refutes PDP’s claims of political suppression, revealing that despite generating billions, the party failed to pay N7.6 million ground rent

Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has hit back at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), denying allegations that the revocation of the party’s land title in Abuja was part of a political strategy to suppress opposition.

Speaking during a meeting with the Body of Benchers, led by Chairman Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), in Abuja on Friday, Wike addressed the claims and highlighted a significant issue regarding the party’s failure to pay the mandatory ground rent for its land title.

Wike pointed out that despite generating significant revenue — an estimated N33 billion from the sale of party forms — the PDP had not paid the N7.6 million ground rent for the land in Central Area, where it was constructing its National Secretariat. The Minister expressed his disappointment over the party’s failure to fulfil its financial obligations, despite its substantial income.

“I reached out to the PDP on this issue, but they failed to pay the N7.6 million ground rent, even though they’ve made between N13 billion and N20 billion from the sale of forms,” Wike said, stressing the point that managing finances should be a priority for any organisation, including political parties.

The PDP had previously alleged that the revocation of its land title was a political move orchestrated by Wike to stifle opposition. However, Wike refuted the claim, clarifying that his actions were part of a broader effort to enforce compliance with land title regulations. He explained that the revocation process applied to all land allottees who had failed to pay ground rent for over 10 years.

“Political, religious, and ethnic sentiments are often linked to every executive action in the country, but this is about enforcing regulations,” Wike said. “This is not a political move. It’s about land allottees who have neglected their responsibilities.”

Wike further revealed that the Wadata Plaza, which houses the PDP’s National Secretariat, was not actually registered in the party’s name but under a Senator residing in Abuja. The Senator, according to Wike, had failed to pay ground rent for 28 years, but the PDP continued to claim the Minister was targeting its headquarters.

“Maybe they had a deal with the man and didn’t complete the deed of assignment,” Wike suggested. “Now they’re using that as a reason to accuse me of stifling opposition.”

The Minister emphasised that the land revocation was not exclusive to the PDP. Other institutions, such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had also faced revocations for similar reasons. Wike mentioned that while the CBN had sought a reversal of its revocation, he told the bank that it must first pay the outstanding ground rent.

The Minister also took the opportunity to advise members of the Body of Benchers, the legal body responsible for regulating the profession in Nigeria, to ensure they paid their own ground rent. Wike made it clear that no land allottee, regardless of their status, would be spared if they failed to meet their obligations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that on March 17, 2025, Wike had approved the revocation of 4,794 land titles, including those held by individuals, corporate organisations, and government institutions, due to non-payment of ground rent for over 10 years.