FCTA seals PDP Secretariat, Others over unpaid ground rent; Tinubu grants 14-day grace

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Monday, May 26, 2025, initiated a sweeping enforcement action across Abuja, sealing numerous properties, including the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over decades of unpaid ground rent.

The PDP’s Wadata Plaza, reportedly owing ground rent for 28 years, was among the prominent establishments affected.

Other entities impacted by the enforcement, led by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, included offices of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Access Bank, Total Energy, and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), all located in Wuse Zone 5.

This rigorous measure is part of a broader FCTA initiative targeting 4,794 properties whose titles were revoked for non-payment of ground rents, with some arrears stretching back as far as 43 years.

The FCTA stated that the total outstanding ground rent owed by these properties amounts to over N6 billion.

Following the widespread sealing operations, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intervened, granting a 14-day grace period for all affected property owners to settle their outstanding ground rents along with stipulated penalties.

The penalties are structured based on property locations: N5 million for properties in the Central Area, N3 million for those in Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse II, and Guzape districts, and N2 million for properties in Wuse I, Garki I, and Garki II. These penalties are to be paid in addition to the owed ground rent.

Furthermore, property owners who have not registered their interests through the mandatory Minister’s Consent and Deeds of Assignment are now required to do so within this 14-day window.

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The FCTA emphasized that failure to comply within the given period would result in the definitive revocation of property titles.

Minister Wike urged all property owners in the FCT to ensure timely payment of all necessary bills and charges, stressing that these funds are crucial for the government to execute essential developmental projects for the benefit of the FCT residents.

The sealing of the PDP secretariat drew strong condemnation from the party, which labeled the action as politically motivated.

However, Minister Wike swiftly refuted these claims, asserting that the enforcement is a non-discriminatory exercise aimed solely at ensuring compliance with statutory obligations and land administration regulations.

As the 14-day grace period commences, affected property owners are strongly advised to take immediate steps to regularize their payments and documentation to avoid further sanctions and potential forfeiture of their properties.