A war of words erupted on Thursday between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the senator representing Abuja, Ireti Kingibe, following the recent sealing of properties across the city due to unpaid ground rent.
Senator Kingibe openly criticised the action, describing it as unlawful and harsh. In a statement she posted on May 26, she said the decision to shut down several buildings, including offices belonging to major institutions like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretariat and Access Bank, was a violation of both individual and business rights.
The senator argued that the move by the FCT Administration ignored due process. She said it disregarded the protections provided by both the Land Use Act and the Urban and Regional Planning Act. According to her, these laws recommend penalties such as fines, not the closure of properties.
“No Nigerian’s property can be lawfully seized or sealed solely due to ground rent default,” she said. Kingibe described the enforcement style as “indiscriminate” and “insensitive” to the economic struggles many Abuja residents are currently facing.
In response, Wike’s office issued a counter statement through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka. The minister, through Olayinka, accused Kingibe of showing “ridiculous ignorance” of the Land Use Act and using the issue as a personal attack against him.
“It is embarrassingly ignorant for a serving senator to be unaware of the provisions of Section 28 of the Land Use Act,” Olayinka said. “Ground rent is not optional. It’s a legal obligation tied to land ownership.”
He noted that many defaulters had ignored their obligations for over four decades and claimed that Kingibe’s position seemed more about personal politics than legal accuracy. Olayinka questioned whether Kingibe, if she were the FCT Minister, would allow such long-standing defaults to go unpunished.
The back-and-forth has drawn public attention, especially as it unfolds shortly after President Bola Tinubu gave defaulters a 14-day grace period to clear their debts. That presidential directive has, for now, paused further property closures.
Still, the clash between Wike and Kingibe reveals deeper tensions in the management of Abuja’s affairs. Kingibe vowed to push for new legislative measures that would guide how such matters are handled in the future, particularly to ensure that residents are treated fairly.
She urged citizens to stay calm and lawful while promising that the issue remains a top priority for her in the Senate.
“We are committed to ensuring that dialogue, justice, and due process prevail,” she stated.
