JUST IN: FCTA Seals PDP Headquarters Over Ground Rent Debt

In a decisive move to enforce compliance with land-use regulations, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Monday sealed the Wadata Plaza national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja. The action came as a result of the party’s alleged failure to settle long-standing ground rent arrears, which authorities claim have been accruing for over two decades.

According to officials of the FCTA, the enforcement follows several prior warnings issued to the PDP leadership, urging them to address the outstanding payments related to the property. The debt, reportedly dating as far back as the 1990s, remained unresolved despite multiple notifications and opportunities to regularize the account.

Wadata Plaza, located in the highbrow Wuse Zone 5 area of Abuja, has served as the PDP’s national secretariat for years and is widely recognized as a political landmark in Nigeria’s capital. The FCTA’s decision to seal the premises has drawn significant public attention, not only due to the status of the occupant but also because it reflects a renewed determination by the administration to enforce Abuja’s land-use policies and revenue collection mandates without exemption.

Speaking on the development, FCTA officials emphasized that the sealing of the PDP headquarters was part of a broader clampdown on property owners, institutions, and organizations that have defaulted on statutory land-related payments such as ground rent, which is required by law for continued legal occupancy and use of allocated land within the FCT.

An enforcement team, which included personnel from the Department of Development Control and the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), executed the sealing order in the early hours of Monday. Witnesses observed the officials arriving with notices and enforcement tools, after which the entrance to the building was shut down and marked appropriately to indicate its closure.

The FCTA noted that the action was not politically motivated but was purely administrative, aimed at ensuring compliance with established regulations. They stressed that similar measures have been or will be taken against other defaulters regardless of political affiliation, institutional status, or ownership.

Officials also stated that the PDP premises would remain closed until the party clears its outstanding liabilities. While the exact amount owed was not disclosed, some reports suggest the arrears run into tens of millions of naira, given the time span and location of the property.

The development comes amid wider efforts by the FCTA to shore up internally generated revenue and instill greater fiscal discipline in the management of Abuja’s public and private real estate assets. Property owners and organizations within the territory have been repeatedly urged to fulfill their obligations or face penalties, including revocation or forfeiture.

As of the time of reporting, the PDP had not issued an official statement in response to the closure of its headquarters.