Wike Grants APC Free Permanent Allocation at Abuja’s Old Parade Ground

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has allocated a prime section of Abuja’s historic Old Parade Ground to the All Progressives Congress (APC), handing the ruling party permanent ownership of the land without paying the multibillion-naira statutory charges usually required.

Once conceived as a communal venue for Independence Day parades, cultural festivals, sports, and political events, part of the Old Parade Ground has now been carved out for APC’s new national secretariat.

Official documents show that on August 8, 2025, the FCT Administration excised a two-hectare portion (Plot 4742, Cadastral Zone A01, Garki District) and immediately issued both the right of occupancy and the certificate of occupancy—a process that typically takes years.

The land, measuring 20,100 square metres, was assessed at a premium of about ₦120.6 million, with additional statutory charges that usually run into billions. But records indicate that all fees were waived, and the APC was granted a 99-year lease at no cost to the federal treasury.

The allocation followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive at the party’s NEC meeting in July that a “befitting secretariat” be built in Abuja.

APC currently operates from Muhammadu Buhari House in Wuse II, acquired in 2021 for ₦2.5 billion.

The speed of the process—completed in a single day—contrasts with the long delays usually faced by individuals and organisations seeking land in the capital.

Since assuming office in 2023, Wike has made land policy central to his administration, revoking titles and demolishing properties in the name of restoring Abuja’s master plan.

Critics, however, accuse him of using his discretion to allocate prime plots to allies and political associates under favourable terms.