With just days to a pivotal National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faces a fresh political storm as the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), under Minister Nyesom Wike, prepares to take possession of its national secretariat in Abuja over decades-long ground rent defaults.
The FCTA, on Friday, confirmed that it will begin enforcement of revocation orders affecting 4,794 properties across high-value districts of the capital – including the PDP headquarters – on Monday, May 26, 2025.
The move follows the expiration of a 21-day grace period given to defaulting property owners to pay their debts, some of which date back 43 years.
The total outstanding ground rent stands at ₦6.9 billion, according to FCTA officials.
If carried out, the action could force the PDP to relocate or suspend its NEC meeting scheduled for Tuesday, potentially intensifying its internal leadership crisis.
The party is already grappling with factional divisions and strained loyalties – compounded by Wike’s controversial role in the ongoing turmoil.
The looming seizure of the party’s secretariat has sparked allegations of political sabotage.
Minister Wike, although a PDP member, openly campaigned for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 elections and currently serves in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
He has frequently clashed with PDP leaders and is seen by many within the party as undermining its stability from within.
At a press briefing on Friday, FCTA officials insisted that the move was not politically motivated.
Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications to the minister, said the planned enforcement would follow “extant laws and regulations” and apply uniformly to all affected properties, regardless of their ownership.
“From Monday, the FCTA will begin exercising its legal rights over these revoked titles. This includes sealing off the properties and restricting access,” Olayinka said.
Director of Land Administration Chijioke Nwankwoeze added that there was no subsisting court order restraining the administration from proceeding with the exercise.
He also clarified that the revocation is backed by the Land Use Act – specifically Section 28(5)(a) and (b) – which permits the government to revoke land titles due to violations, including failure to pay statutory ground rents.
The PDP has reacted with suspicion and resolve.
When contacted, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated tersely: “We will deal with it on Monday,” signaling possible legal action or political resistance.
Insiders say the timing of the revocation – coming on the eve of a major PDP leadership meeting – raises red flags.
The NEC gathering is expected to deliberate on key issues including party restructuring, zoning for the 2027 general elections, and the role of dissenting figures like Wike in the future of the party.
Observers warn that the situation could escalate tensions between the opposition party and the APC-led federal government, especially as Nigeria edges closer to another high-stakes electoral cycle.
For many within the PDP, Wike’s hand in the potential eviction from their own secretariat is more than a bureaucratic measure – it is a symbolic and strategic blow that may redefine his already fraught relationship with the party that once elevated him to national relevance.
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