By Kingston Magare 29.5.2026
Federal Capital Territory minister Nyesom Wike is threatening to close down hotels, event centres and public facilities that host political parties not recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to a statement by the FCTA administration the land titles of such centres in Abuja will be revoked, adding that the move is geared towards ensuring security across the nation’s capital ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Going forward, title documents of any event centre, hotel or public building that is used for the gathering of illegal organisations will be revoked,” said the statement signed by Lere Olayinka who is special assistant on public communications to Mr. Wike.
“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 noted.
The FCTA said the monitoring was specifically targeted at stopping “illegal organisations” from using public facilities for meetings and gatherings “capable of disrupting the peace of the nation’s capital.”
The administration warned hotel and event centre owners to ensure they only transact with leaderships of political parties recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“For instance, in this political season, owners of Event Centres and Hotels in particular must ensure that they only deal with INEC recognised leadership of political parties in respect of the use of their facilities, and proper records of transactions must be kept,” the statement added.
However, the FCTA statement did not clearly define what would constitute an “illegal organisation,” raising concerns over possible arbitrary interpretation and enforcement.