The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has revoked the land title of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) national secretariat in Abuja over unpaid ground rent.
A revocation notice dated 13 March 2025, signed by the FCT Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, stated that the party had failed to pay ground rent on the property for 20 years, from 1 January 2006 to 1 January 2025.
The letter read, “I have been directed to refer to the above Right of Occupancy granted to PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), NATIONAL SECRETARIAT and inform you that the Minister of Federal Capital Territory has in the exercise of powers conferred on him under the Land Use Act No. 6 of 1978, Cap. L5, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, revoked your rights, interests and privileges over Plot No. 243 within Central Area, Cadastral Zone A00, Abuja.
“The revocation is in view of your continued contravention of the terms and conditions of grant of the Right of Occupancy by failing to pay the annual ground rents due on the property for twenty (20) years, from 1st of January 2006 to 1st of January 2025.
“This is despite the many publications made by the FCT Administration since 2023 in several national dailies and on electronic media requesting all allottees of plots in the Federal Capital Territory to pay up every outstanding bill and ground rent on their property.
“You would please note that the said breaches by PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), NATIONAL SECRETARIAT (MISC 81346) run contrary to the provisions of Section 28, Subsection 5 (a) and (b) of the Land Use Act.”
Wike has ordered the FCTA to take possession of the property until all outstanding payments are made.
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The minister had previously revoked 4,794 land titles in the FCT due to non-payment of ground rent, amounting to ₦6.9 billion over 40 years.
A statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, revealed that 8,375 property owners in districts such as Central Area, Garki, Wuse, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape had failed to pay ground rent for 43 years.
According to the statement, property owners owed a total of ₦6,967,980,119, with 4,794 land titles in default for over a decade.
Olayinka noted that multiple publications and media announcements since 2023 had urged defaulters to settle their debts but yielded little response.
“It should be noted that the FCTA made numerous publications in national newspapers and announcements on broadcast media since 2023, calling on defaulters to pay up all outstanding bills and ground rents. All these yielded little response, as several allottees failed to pay.
“It is important to state that payment of ground rent on landed properties in the FCT is founded on extant legislation. It is clearly stipulated in the terms and conditions of the grant of Right of Occupancy, and it is due for payment on the first day of January, each year, without demand.”