Wike Threatens to Revoke Titles of Hotels, Event Centres Used for Illegal Political Meetings
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has issued a stern warning to owners of event centres, hotels, and other public facilities in Abuja, threatening to revoke their land titles if they allow illegal organizations to use their premises for meetings and activities. The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), under the minister's supervision, emphasized that such gatherings could disrupt peace and security in the nation's capital.
In a statement released by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, the administration declared that land allocations in the FCT are strictly intended for lawful purposes. Any property linked to the activities of illegal organizations risks losing its title documents, the statement warned.
The FCTA announced that it would intensify monitoring of event centres, hotels, and other public buildings as part of measures to safeguard lives and property and to support ongoing security efforts in the territory. “In view of the need to further ensure the security of lives and properties in the FCT and sustain the efforts of security agencies in this regard, usage of Event Centres, Hotels and other public buildings will now be closely monitored,” the statement read.
Olayinka added that the monitoring aims to ensure such facilities are not used by illegal organizations for gatherings capable of disturbing public peace. The FCTA further directed owners of these facilities to verify the legality of organizations seeking to use their premises and to keep proper transaction records before approving bookings.
The administration specifically warned hotel and event centre operators to deal only with leaders of political parties recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), especially during the ongoing political season. “For instance, in this political season, owners of Event Centres and Hotels in particular must ensure that they only deal with INEC recognized leadership of political parties in respect of the use of their facilities, and proper records of transactions must be kept,” the statement added.
The FCTA warned that failure to comply with the directive would lead to revocation of the affected property titles. This move underscores the government's commitment to maintaining law and order in the FCT and preventing any activities that could threaten public safety.
