Officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Monday sealed off the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja over alleged non-payment of ground rent, a move that has raised significant political concerns given its timing ahead of key party meetings.
The enforcement action took place at approximately 2:05 p.m. at the party’s Wuse Zone 5 headquarters. According to eyewitness accounts, FCTA officials arrived unannounced, requested to speak with the management, and proceeded to seal the premises before any formal communication could take place.
The sealing sparked mild protests from party staff and loyalists, leading to a brief negotiation.
The premises were temporarily unsealed to allow employees to remove vehicles and personal belongings before being shut again.
ALSO READ: PDP Caucus, BoT hold meetings ahead of Tuesday’s NEC session
Critically, the timing of the action has intensified political speculation.
The PDP was scheduled to hold a series of high-level internal meetings at the secretariat beginning Monday, including sessions of the National Caucus and Board of Trustees (BoT), in preparation for the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated for Tuesday.
The NEC meeting is expected to address the party’s internal leadership crisis, set direction for future elections, and possibly resolve lingering disputes involving influential figures such as the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.
Party sources view the sealing of the secretariat as a calculated move to disrupt these gatherings and undermine the PDP’s organisational coherence.
Given Wike’s strained relationship with the PDP national leadership, some party officials see the FCTA’s enforcement action as politically motivated, despite the administration’s claim that it is merely applying land regulations.
Last week, FCTA officials announced plans to reclaim 4,794 properties across Abuja that had allegedly defaulted on ground rent payments, in some cases for over four decades. At a press briefing on Friday, the Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze; Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima; and Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, confirmed that enforcement would begin Monday and would not exempt any entity, regardless of political affiliation.
“The ownership of the revoked properties has reverted to the FCTA, and we will begin to exercise our rights as guided by law,” Galadima said.
Nwankwoeze stated that no court has barred the FCTA from taking action and that any affected parties had been given ample notice to comply. He added that additional enforcement actions would follow for those who remain in default after a 21-day grace period.
However, political analysts warn that even if the sealing is legally justifiable, the optics—coming on the eve of the PDP’s most important decision-making meeting – could be interpreted as a power play by Wike, who remains a controversial figure within the party.
Wike, a former governor and a prominent PDP stakeholder, has been at odds with the national leadership since the 2023 presidential primaries and his subsequent alignment with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government.
With the NEC meeting still expected to go ahead, possibly at an alternative venue, the incident is likely to dominate discussions, further exposing rifts within the party and fuelling debate over institutional neutrality in the FCT.
and then