The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has strongly criticized the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for allocating a portion of the Old Parade Ground in Area 10, Abuja, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the construction of its new national secretariat.
The party described the move as “the height of executive recklessness and abuse of power” and urged President Bola Tinubu to step in immediately to reverse what it called “a momentous error against national heritage and public trust.”
Speaking on the development, SDP National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, expressed deep concern that a landmark historically preserved for civic and cultural events was being handed over permanently to a political party. “This is a national monument that predates Eagle Square and holds symbolic value for our collective memory. To convert it into the property of a political party is unthinkable and unacceptable,” he said.
According to him, Minister Wike approved the excision and allocation of two hectares of the Old Parade Ground, identified as Plot 4742 in Cadastral Zone A01, Garki District, to the APC on August 8, 2025. He alleged that both the Right of Occupancy and Certificate of Occupancy were issued the same day, a move the SDP described as “highly irregular and suspicious.”
The party further claimed that the decision was taken with “unprecedented speed” and bypassed due administrative processes, with statutory fees reportedly waived. Aiyenigba alleged that Wike acted under the influence of President Tinubu, following his call at the APC National Executive Committee meeting on July 24, 2025, for a befitting secretariat for the ruling party.
“It is a national fraud if President Tinubu allows the FCT Minister, in his characteristic brashness, to convert a historic public facility like the Old Parade Ground into the personal asset of a political party,” Aiyenigba added.
The SDP also accused Wike of attempting to curry favor with the president through controversial decisions, including the recent renaming of the Abuja International Conference Centre after President Tinubu. “Rather than focus on delivering new world-class infrastructure, Minister Wike is busy converting national assets into political gifts. This is not only unpatriotic but also a gross violation of due process,” the party said.
Calling on Nigerians to resist what it described as the erosion of public trust, the SDP urged citizens not to “fold their hands and watch as our national heritage is gifted away with reckless abandon.”
The party reaffirmed its commitment to defending public assets and called on President Tinubu to act in the national interest by revoking the allocation of the Old Parade Ground. “The president must show leadership by correcting this grave misstep and restoring confidence in public governance,” it said.
