Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revealed that Wadata Plaza, widely believed to be the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), does not actually belong to the party.
Olayinka made this revelation while speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
“Wadata does not belong to the PDP; most members don’t know. I did not even know until two weeks ago. Senator Sama’ila Mamman owns Wadata Plaza,” Olayinka stated.
Located in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, Wadata Plaza has long been regarded as the PDP’s headquarters. However, Olayinka disclosed that the property belongs to former Senate Leader, Senator Samaila Mamman and that the PDP never completed the process of purchasing it.
Recently, the FCT Minister revoked the land title of Wadata Plaza, along with the title of the PDP’s unfinished national secretariat in the Central Area Business District, citing non-payment of ground rent. The move has drawn strong condemnation from PDP leaders, who argue that the revocation is a politically motivated attempt by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to stifle opposition.
Defending the decision, Olayinka explained that the PDP failed to fulfil its financial obligations when it attempted to purchase Wadata Plaza in 2005.
“PDP moved to buy the property from Senator Samaila in 2005, and after that, they wrote to the Minister of the FCT, Malam El-Rufai, a member of the PDP at that time, saying that we were buying this property, asking for the minister’s consent, which is the normal thing you do when you’re buying a property,” Olayinka said.
He further stated that the FCT minister at the time, Nasir El-Rufai, had responded to the PDP, insisting that the party pay a fee of N26.9 million to complete the transaction.
“The Chairman of PDP then, Vincent Ogbulafor, wrote to the FCT minister saying that money is too much. Imagine PDP at that time, the party in power, saying it does not have N26 million to pay, and El-Rufai insisted that the PDP must do the right thing, just as Wike is doing now,” he added.
With the revocation of the land title, Olayinka clarified that the property now fully belongs to Senator Samaila Mamman.
