SDP slams Wike over allocation of Old Parade Ground to APC

…Urges Tinubu to Reverse ‘Monumental Error’

…Party describes action as executive recklessness, abuse of power

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA— The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has condemned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the allocation of the historic Old Parade Ground in Area 10, Abuja, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the construction of its new national secretariat.

Describing the action as the “height of executive recklessness and abuse of power,” the party called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently override what it termed a momentous error and revoke the allocation in the interest of national heritage and public trust.

In a statement issued Monday in Abuja, SDP National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, said the party was deeply concerned that a national monument—meant for civic, cultural, and national events—was being handed over permanently to a political party. He said the decision was taken with “unprecedented speed,” bypassing normal administrative processes, and even waiving statutory fees that would have otherwise accrued to the government.

According to Aiyenigba, on August 8, 2025, Minister Wike approved the excision and allocation of a two-hectare portion of the Parade Ground, known as Plot 4742 in Cadastral Zone A01, Garki District, to the APC. He claimed that the Right of Occupancy and Certificate of Occupancy were both issued on the same day—a move the SDP described as “highly irregular and suspicious.”

The SDP argued that the Old Parade Ground, being a national monument predating the construction of Eagle Square, holds significant historical value and must be preserved for future generations. It further alleged that Wike was acting under the influence of President Tinubu’s directive at the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on July 24, 2025, where the president reportedly called for a befitting secretariat for the party.

“It is an unacceptable and condemnable national fraud if President Tinubu allows the FCT Minister, in his characteristic recklessness and brashness, to convert a historic facility like the Old Parade Ground into an asset of the ruling party,” the statement read.

The SDP also took issue with what it called Wike’s “overboard attempts to please President Tinubu,” citing his recent controversial renaming of the Abuja International Conference Centre after the president, alongside other costly projects that raised public concern.

The statement further read: “Rather than build new world-class infrastructure, Minister Wike is busy converting national assets to political gifts. This act is not only unpatriotic but a slap in the face of due process and good governance.”

The party urged all Nigerians to resist the appropriation of national monuments for partisan interests and demanded that public officials respect due process, transparency, and accountability in their actions.

“No longer should citizens fold their hands and watch as our national heritage is gifted to political parties with reckless abandon,” it said.

While reiterating its commitment to defending Nigeria’s national assets, the SDP called on President Tinubu to act in the national interest and reverse the allocation of the Old Parade Ground to the APC.

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