Land Revocation: What Kind Of Mentality Is That – Wike Knocks PDP Over Allegations Of Suppression

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has refuted allegations claiming that he revoked the land title of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat because he is trying to suppress the opposition.

He accused the party of failing to pay ₦7.6 million ground rent for its land title in the Central Area, despite being in power for many years and generating between ₦13 billion and ₦20 billion from the sale of forms.

He disclosed this while hosting officials of the Body of Benchers, led by Chairman Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), in Abuja on Friday.

He pointed out that political, religious, and ethnic sentiments were often linked to every executive action in the country.

He said that the revocation of land titles of allottees who had failed to pay mandatory ground rent for over 10 years was often misinterpreted as a political move.

Wike further explained that the Wadata Plaza, where the PDP’s National Secretariat was located, was not registered as a party property but under a Senator residing in Abuja.

He noted that the registered owner had 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?” Wike asked.

He 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, 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 paid their ground rent, warning that no defaulting land allottee would be spared.