Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has allocated part of Abuja’s Old Parade Ground to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), granting the party permanent title without collecting the multibillion-naira charges normally attached to such land, documents obtained by Peoples Gazette said.
On August 8, 2025, the Federal Capital Territory Administration excised a two-hectare portion of the Old Parade Ground, registered as Plot 4742 in Cadastral Zone A01, Garki District, and allocated it to the APC. Both the right of occupancy and the certificate of occupancy were issued on the same day, collapsing what is ordinarily a long bureaucratic process into a single transaction.
The documents indicated that the land premium was assessed at N6,000 per square metre, with an annual ground rent of N35 per square metre.
But officials said the party didn’t pay the assessed premium of N120.6 million, much less the billions that would’ve accrued by the time other fees had been added. A multibillion-naira obligation should have been imposed as duties for the 20,100 square metres allocated to the ruling party.
In Abuja’s land policy, the statutory charges normally include more than just the premium and ground rent. They also cover development levy, processing fees, infrastructure development charges, survey duties, and certificate of occupancy charges—and Mr Wike waived all for his political group.
These additional charges often make up the bulk of the cost of purchasing a land, especially in the city centre. In several past FCTA allocations of similar plots, the total bill runs into billions of naira once all statutory fees are assessed.
However, no record of payment was entered, with officials telling The Gazette the minister waived the accruals for his party. Despite this, the certificate of occupancy was issued the same day, granting the APC a 99-year lease on the property at no cost.
Also at issue was the speed of the process. It typically takes months, and frequently years due to backlogs, for a right of occupancy to be issued in Abuja, and much longer before a certificate of occupancy is granted, as applicants are required first to pay assessed charges and comply with the labyrinthine bureaucratic requirements.
In this case, however, Mr Wike handed the APC both documents the same day, even as he overlooked billions that should’ve gone into the federal treasury to help shore up the country’s depleted coffers, an official said.
“The minister is defacing Abuja’s foundational design for his personal and political journey,” an official said under anonymity to comment on the brazen corruption of his principal. “A lot of what he has done will need to be reversed by his successor for the sake of our country.”
The plot carved out for the ruling party sits within the Old Parade Ground, one of Abuja’s oldest civic landmarks. For decades, the space has hosted Independence Day parades, political rallies, football matches, concerts, religious gatherings, and cultural festivals. By allocating the historic asset to a political organisation, the minister has effectively transformed a shared national symbol into partisan control.
The financial magnitude of the waiver is also clear from the documents. Statutory charges running into billions of naira that would ordinarily accrue to the government’s purse were set aside. For ordinary Nigerians seeking modest plots in Abuja, the process requires upfront payment of premiums and fees that often stretch family resources. For the APC, which purports to be the largest ruling party in Africa, the burden was lifted entirely by ministerial discretion.
Since assuming office in August 2023, Mr Wike has frequently used land allocation as a central instrument of his politicking. He has revoked titles and demolished structures under the guise of restoring the city’s master plan. At the same time, however, he has authorised prime allocations to family members, close associates, relatives, and political loyalists, often on favourable terms.
The allocation of Plot 4742 to the APC stands out both for its scale and its symbolism. It is not a peripheral plot but part of a nationally recognised ceremonial ground. It was not processed through the usual drawn-out channels but granted in hours. And it was not subject to billions in charges but written off entirely.
The certificate of occupancy signed by Mr Wike himself finalised the transfer, granting the APC legal title for 99 years. Once construction begins, the land might be permanently fenced off, ending its use as a public square. Where citizens once gathered to mark Independence Day or celebrate cultural events, the headquarters of a political party will rise instead.
The documents did not indicate whether any portion of the waived amount might still be demanded in the future. What they made clear was that the allocation had been fully perfected and registered, leaving no outstanding conditions attached to the plot.
The Old Parade Ground, designed at Abuja’s founding as a communal arena, has now lost part of its expanse to private, partisan use. A space long tied to collective memory and shared national identity was converted into party property with a stroke of a pen — at no cost to the beneficiary.
Lere Olayinka, the spokesperson for Mr Wike, did not respond to phone calls and text messages sent to his line by The Gazette as of press time.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga could also not be reached for comments over the development, as phone calls to his line were unanswered.
When contacted over the development, Bala Ibrahim—APC’s national publicity secretary—declared that there was nothing wrong with the allocation of the land to the APC at no cost.
“What is wrong about land being allocated to the APC?” Mr Bala queried our reporter, adding that “there are lands allocated to certain categories, such as organisations, amongst others.”
Mr Ibrahim was, however, unable to cite a similar instance in which the administration allocated a priced national asset to other political parties or groups.
In 2024, as Mr Wike’s desperation to muzzle opposition parties on behalf of President Bola Tinubu grew, the minister revoked land approval for the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, forcing most of the party’s leaders, starting with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, to abandon the legacy platform to form a new political coalition.
Peoples Gazette (22/08/25).
