Olayinka accused Kingibe of politicising the issue and advised her to “purge herself of hatred for Wike” instead of defending defaulters

By Titilope Adako

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Senator Ireti Kingibe have clashed over the recent sealing of properties in Abuja due to unpaid ground rent.

Kingibe, who represents the FCT in the Senate, condemned the clampdown as unconstitutional and heavy-handed.

In a statement released on May 26, 2025, via her official X handle, the senator said the mass sealing of buildings including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretariat and Access Bank violated the rights of residents and business owners.

Wike’s camp responded through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, who described Kingibe’s remarks as a display of “ridiculous ignorance” of the Land Use Act.

“It is embarrassingly ignorant for a serving senator to be unaware of the provisions of Section 28 of the Land Use Act,” Olayinka said.

He argued that ground rent is a legal obligation tied to land ownership and that defaults spanning over 10, 20, or even 43 years could not be ignored.

Olayinka accused Kingibe of politicising the issue and advised her to “purge herself of hatred for Wike” instead of defending defaulters.

But Kingibe stood her ground, insisting that while ground rent enforcement is necessary, sealing properties without due process is illegal.

Quoting the Land Use Act and the Urban and Regional Planning Act, she argued that defaulters should face fines or surcharges—not arbitrary takeovers of their properties.

“No Nigerian’s property can be lawfully seized or sealed solely due to ground rent default,” she stated.

She described the FCT Administration’s approach as “indiscriminate” and “insensitive” to current economic realities, warning that such actions erode public trust and worsen hardship.

Kingibe vowed to push for legislative action to ensure future enforcement aligns with due process.

In response, Olayinka said the senator’s interpretation of the law was selective, maintaining that defaulting on ground rent violates the Certificate of Occupancy and is valid grounds for revocation.

“Would Kingibe, as FCT Minister, fold her arms while landowners refuse to pay what is legally due for over four decades?” he asked.

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