Political Adversaries Ignore Tinubu's Command as PDP Headquarters Continue to Remain Locked, Undisturbed
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headquarters in Abuja continues to remain sealed off, a day after President Bola Tinubu's instruction to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to rescind the closure of properties confiscated due to non-payment of ground rent.
The FCTA's move on Monday to seal properties ignited a wave of public protest before Tinubu intervened, ordering the release of the delinquent properties, grantsing a 14-day window for payment of ground rent, and imposing a penalty of ₦2 million. The President further urged the parties to regularize all land titles before the deadline.
As reported by Daily Trust, as of 10:15 am on Wednesday, the entryway to the PDP headquarters in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, remained barricaded, with an FCTA seal affixed beside the padlock. PDP staffers were seen seated outside the main entrance, while others varied aimlessly nearby, lamenting the current situation.
A staff member, speaking under the condition of anonymity, speculated that there was an unspoken instruction to bar the PDP premises from reopening. Recounting the sequence of events, the source claimed that FCTA staff visited the FIRS, Ibro Hotel, NAPTIP, and released all properties except for the PDP's office. The informant revealed that upon inquiry, the director of Lands stated that further instructions from AGIS were required to unseal the PDP headquarters.
As of the time of filing this report, the PDP has yet to release any official comment on the latest development.
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It has been revealed that the PDP owes 28 years' worth of unpaid ground rent, amounting to N7.6 million[5]. Although the President's directive was intended to address these outstanding fees, the continued closure remains unexplained.
The FCTA's enforcement of property closures is part of a broader campaign targeting 4,794 properties over unpaid ground rent[2], involving both government agencies and private enterprises. Whilst the enforcement is described as administrative, the opposition party has accused the ruling administration of political intimidation[2]. The PDP is yet to receive instructions from AGIS to lift the seal on their headquarters, suggesting there may be procedural or administrative complexities.
- Despite President Bola Tinubu's instruction to unseal the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headquarters in Abuja, it remains closed, according to reports by 10:15 am on Wednesday.
- PDP staffers are reportedly seated outside the main entrance, while others are seen wandering nearby, lamenting the ongoing situation.
- A staff member, speaking anonymously, speculates that there might be an unspoken instruction to keep the PDP premises closed.
- The source claims that FCTA staff visited several properties, such as the FIRS, Ibro Hotel, NAPTIP, and released all properties except for the PDP's office.
- The informant reveals that the director of Lands stated that further instructions from AGIS are required to unseal the PDP headquarters.
- The PDP owes 28 years' worth of unpaid ground rent, amounting to N7.6 million, as revealed recently, though President Tinubu's directive was intended to address these outstanding fees.
- The opposition party has accused the ruling administration of political intimidation due to the enforcement of property closures, which is part of a broader campaign targeting 4,794 properties over unpaid ground rent, involving both government agencies and private enterprises.
