By Samuel Marshall
In a sweeping and controversial crackdown that has gripped national attention, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has revoked the Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) of hundreds of prominent Nigerians – among them former First Lady Patience Jonathan – over alleged illegal land allocations and serial breaches of Abuja’s land administration laws.
The revocation, announced on 28th November, 2025, through a public notice issued by Lere Olayinka, Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, listed 1,095 individuals and organisations whose land titles have been cancelled. According to the FCT Administration, 835 allottees failed to pay ground rent, while 260 others defaulted on violation and land-use conversion fees, contravening Section 28 (5a & b) of the Land Use Act as well as the specific terms underpinning their Rights of Occupancy.
A Roll Call of Nigeria’s Power Elite
The list reads like a miniature Who’s Who of Nigerian political, military, religious, and business circles.
Among the high-profile individuals affected are former Defence Minister Theophilus Danjuma, ex-Chief of Army Staff Ishaya Bamaiyi, ambassador-nominee Kayode Are, and Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Serving Minister John Enoh; the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari; former PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus; and ex-acting National Chairman Abubakar Baraje are also listed.
Several former governors lost their Abuja land titles, including Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Donald Duke (Cross River), Niyi Adebayo (Ekiti), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), and Gado Nasko of the old Sokoto State.
Former ministers on the list include Kema Chikwe, Dapo Sarumi, Idika Kalu, Olu Agunloye, and Inna Ciroma.
Also affected are a wide array of serving and former federal lawmakers such as Ali Ndume, Osita Izunaso, Caleb Zagi, Ganiyu Solomon, Olabode Olajumoke, Iya Abubakar, Abubakar Sodangi, Iyiola Omisore, Patrick Obahiagbon, Usman Bugaje, Abba Aji, Shehu Agaie, Patience Ogodo, and Mao Ohuabunwa, who currently chairs the PDP Board of Trustees.
Posthumous Revocations
Several deceased statesmen and national figures also had their titles revoked, including Bashir Tofa, Tony Anenih, Adamu Ciroma, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Ralph Uwechue, and former ministers Alex Akinyele, Dubem Onyia, Onaolapo Soleye, Yakubu Lame, Babatunde Osotimehin, and John Odey.
The estates of former Anambra governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, former IGP Ibrahim Coomassie, and Senator Patrick Osakwe were also affected.
Government Agencies and Institutions Swept In
A number of major public institutions are caught in the revocation dragnet, including the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), NNPCL, ministries such as Finance and Environment, and agencies including the CBN, NTA, NPA, FHA, RMFAC, NAN, the Navy, and the Police.
State governments affected include Oyo, Borno, and Kaduna.
Commercial banks – GTBank, First Bank, Ecobank, Zenith Bank, Union Bank – as well as the defunct Diamond Bank and African Continental Bank are also listed. The Catholic Church is among the religious institutions impacted.
Political Undertones Spark Debate
Although many Nigerians welcome the enforcement drive as long-overdue sanitisation of Abuja’s chaotic land administration, critics argue that the move may carry political undertones – pointing to the inclusion of figures who once backed Wike but later fell out with him.
The mention of Patience Jonathan has been particularly sensitive. Her political influence was instrumental in Wike’s emergence as the PDP governorship candidate in Rivers State in 2015 – a process that involved high-level negotiations with then-President Goodluck Jonathan and party leaders. She also reportedly opened doors for Wike with influential stakeholders including former Governor Peter Odili, paving the way for his eventual victory.
Minister has consistently maintained that he earned his political rise through personal merit and struggle. Yet the sweep and timing of the revocations have reignited debates over loyalty, power, and retribution within Nigeria’s political class.***
