Chijioke Nwanwkoeze, the Director of Lands for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), addressed the controversy surrounding the PDP’s land title. He confirmed that the party failed to pay ground rent for its national secretariat for 28 years, totaling N7.6 million. Nwanwkoeze provided this clarification on Wednesday during a press briefing in Abuja.
FCT Minister Revokes PDP’s Land Title
Recently, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, revoked the land title for the PDP’s secretariat in the Central Area of Abuja. The revocation notice, dated March 13, 2025, was titled “Notice of Revocation of Right of Occupancy with File No. MISC 81346 for Plot No. 243, Central Area (A00) District, Abuja.” In response, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Deborah Ologunagba, criticized the minister’s actions, particularly concerning the Wadata Plaza and a property under construction.
Details of the Revocation and Ground Rent Arrears
However, Nwanwkoeze clarified that the revocation only applied to the property under construction in the Central Area. He explained that the Wadata Plaza building, where PDP operates, does not belong to the party. “The minister revoked 4,794 titles. PDP is just one of them,” Nwanwkoeze stated. He also explained that the disputed property was owned by Samaila Maman Ofi, who purchased it from Wadata and registered it. PDP has not paid ground rent for 28 years, from 1998 to 2025, amounting to N7,603,504.31.
Nwanwkoeze explained that notices were issued for all titleholders to settle their arrears, but the PDP did not respond. “Since 2023, a year and a half after those publications started, they still did not pay,” he said. Consequently, the minister had no choice but to revoke the title in line with the law.
Revocation Notice Not Served to PDP
Nwanwkoeze further clarified that the revocation notice was not served on the PDP. As tenants, they were not directly involved in the revocation. Instead, the notice was sent to the property owner in Kaduna, where the owner’s address was on record. “You serve the revocation notice on the title holder, not on a tenant or occupier,” he explained.
Revocation Affects Multiple Entities, Not Just PDP
Nwanwkoeze also denied claims that the revocation targeted the PDP specifically. He emphasized that other institutions, private organizations, and individuals also had their land titles revoked. “We are talking about 4,794 titles. Many entities are affected, not just PDP,” Nwanwkoeze noted.
He also pointed out that some people had failed to pay ground rent for up to 43 years. “Some people owe ground rent for almost half the life of the grant. These grants are for 99 years, so someone owing for 43 years is unacceptable,” he added.
Conclusion
Nwanwkoeze urged the public to understand that the revocation was not aimed at the PDP alone. It was part of a broader effort to enforce the payment of ground rent. The FCT administration took action to ensure fairness and uphold the rule of law in managing land within the capital territory.
