The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), led by Minister Nyesom Wike, has issued a stern warning to owners of event centres, hotels and other public facilities in Abuja over the use of their premises by unauthorised or unrecognised political groups.
The administration said any facility found to have hosted gatherings linked to illegal organisations could have its title documents revoked.
The warning was contained in a statement issued on Friday, May 29, by the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka.
According to the statement, the move is part of broader efforts to strengthen security in the Federal Capital Territory and support ongoing operations by security agencies.
“In view of the need to further ensure the security of lives and properties in the FCT and sustain the efforts of security agencies in this regard, usage of Event Centres, Hotels and other public buildings will now be closely monitored.
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“This is aimed at ensuring that they are not used by illegal organizations for gatherings capable of disrupting the peace of the nation’s capital,” the statement said.
The FCTA advised facility owners to properly verify the legality of organisations requesting to use their premises and to understand the purpose of such gatherings before granting approval.
It further cautioned that, particularly in the current political period, operators must only engage with political party leaderships recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“For instance, in this political season, owners of Event Centres and Hotels in particular must ensure that they only deal with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised leadership of political parties in respect of the use of their facilities, and proper records of transactions must be kept.
“Failure to comply with this directive will result to revocation of the title documents such properties,” the statement added.
The administration also reiterated that all land allocations within the Federal Capital Territory must be used strictly for lawful and approved activities, warning that violations would attract sanctions.