On Monday, 26 May 2025, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) sealed the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at Wadata Plaza in Abuja, a Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) office in Wuse Zone 5, and several other properties, including commercial facilities, over ground rent debts accumulated for up to 43 years.
This action is part of a broader clampdown on 4,794 properties across Abuja whose land titles were revoked in March 2025 due to non-payment of statutory ground rent obligations dating back between 10 and 43 years.
FCTA officials arrived at the PDP secretariat shortly after 2 p.m. to enforce the government’s reclaiming of the property, which is reportedly in arrears for 28 years of ground rent.
Security personnel at the site attempted to reach party officials before the building was sealed, but after failing to do so, officials proceeded with the operation. Protests followed, leading to a brief unsealing to allow staff access to retrieve personal belongings.
Similar enforcement actions took place at other locations, including the FIRS office in Wuse Zone 5, a property occupied by Access Bank at Wuse Market which reportedly owes 34 years in rent, and a Total petrol station in Wuse Zone 3.
The FCTA has defended the move as a lawful implementation of property and land administration laws. Speaking during a press briefing last Friday, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, alongside Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwo, and Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, reaffirmed that ownership of the revoked properties in districts such as Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape, had legally reverted to the government.
In a post shared on social media, Olayinka confirmed, “The FIRS office at Wuse Zone 5 was sealed as part of an ongoing enforcement operation targeting defaulters.”
He stressed the FCTA’s resolve to recover unpaid dues and to enforce compliance without favour, regardless of the status of the property occupants.
Director Nwankwo clarified that no legal rulings have been issued to prevent the FCTA from asserting its rights. “There is no court decision stopping us from revoking titles and taking possession,” he said.
The FCTA is also in the process of concluding an audit targeting defaulters with unpaid rents ranging from one to ten years. These property owners had been issued a 21-day grace period to regularise their payments before facing similar action.
The sealing of the PDP national secretariat prompted an immediate political backlash. The party’s leadership convened an emergency caucus meeting at the Bauchi Governors’ Lodge in Abuja to address the situation.
Acting National Chairman Umar Iliya Damagum described the action as “a brazen abuse of power” and accused the FCTA of attempting to “intimidate and destabilise the opposition ahead of critical national decisions.”
“They should come and arrest all of us. We will not take this lightly. This is a clear attempt to undermine democracy, and we will hold them accountable,” Damagum said.
He alleged that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, a former PDP governor, orchestrated the operation to weaken the party’s national influence.
Despite the sealing of its headquarters, the PDP maintained that it remains committed to its democratic role and will not be silenced.
At the FIRS headquarters, a senior official confirmed that operations at the main building in Wuse continued as normal but admitted uncertainty regarding the specific office that was targeted, raising concerns about the accuracy of the enforcement actions and the risk of unintended consequences for federal agencies.
Meanwhile, commercial institutions affected by the FCTA’s operation, including Access Bank and the Total petrol station, have not yet issued official statements regarding the incident.
In response to the escalating controversy, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has intervened, temporarily suspending the revocation orders for properties linked to long-term non-payment of ground rent. This intervention provides a two-week grace period for affected property owners to clear their outstanding rents and associated penalties.
According to the Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwo, the penalties are structured based on the location of the property: ¦ 5 million for properties in the Central Area, ¦ 3 million for those in Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse II, and Guzape, and ¦ 2 million for those in Wuse I, Garki I, and Garki II.
The president’s directive also includes a 14-day ultimatum for individuals who have purchased properties but failed to obtain the required Minister’s Consent and register their Deeds of Assignment.
FCT Minister Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has also endorsed the suspension, urging compliance with payment of Right of Occupancy and Certificate of Occupancy bills moving forward.
He said timely payments are essential to enabling the government to fund key infrastructure and development projects within the capital territory.
