The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday, suffered double losses as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, announced the revocation of 4,794 land titles in Abuja, citing non-payment of ground rent.
At the same time, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State due to the political crisis in the state.
Naija News gathered that among the affected properties is the national secretariat of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In an official revocation notice dated March 13, 2025, the Director of Land Administration in the FCT, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, revealed that the PDP had failed to pay the annual ground rents for its headquarters located at Plot No. 243, Central Area, Abuja, for twenty years.
The unpaid dues covered the period from January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2025, despite numerous public notices urging the party to settle the outstanding payments.
The notice stated, “The subject property has reverted to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), and the Administration will take immediate possession thereof.”
This action has sparked widespread backlash from the PDP, with the party accusing the administration of using the revocation as a tool to suppress opposition.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, condemned the revocation, calling it “a drive towards totalitarianism” and an “attempt to stifle opposition.”
He criticized the move, pointing out that it also affected the party’s temporary and permanent offices. Ologunagba described it as a threat to democracy, arguing that it was part of a broader strategy to silence opposition voices.
In a related development, Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Illiya Damagum, convened an emergency meeting to discuss the revocation.
During the same meeting, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State amid the escalating political crisis.
Tinubu explained that he could no longer sit idly by while militants, who had threatened to blow up pipelines if Governor Fubara were impeached, carried out such threats. He added that his attempts to mediate in the conflict had been rejected by both parties involved.
In response to the ongoing turmoil, the president appointed a retired naval officer to oversee the affairs of the state for six months, during which time Fubara and the lawmakers will be suspended from office.
Atiku Abubakar Criticizes Tinubu’s Actions
PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, swiftly condemned Tinubu’s actions, describing the state of emergency as an “assault on democracy.”
In a statement released on Tuesday night, Atiku accused the president of being an active participant in the political crisis in Rivers State.
Atiku said, “Anyone paying attention to the unfolding crisis knows that Bola Tinubu has been a vested partisan actor in the political turmoil engulfing Rivers. His blatant refusal — or calculated negligence — in preventing this escalation is nothing short of disgraceful.”
The former vice president pointed out that Tinubu’s failure to act had resulted in significant security breaches and the destruction of national infrastructure in the state.
“Beyond the political scheming in Rivers, the brazen security breaches that led to the condemnable destruction of national infrastructure in the state land squarely on the President’s desk,” Atiku added.
Atiku emphasized that the unrest in the Niger Delta under Tinubu’s leadership had undone years of peace and stability, citing the work of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua in securing the region.
He concluded by stating that the president’s actions in Rivers State were “an unforgivable failure” that had put political interests above the welfare of the people.
