Owners of hotels, event centres and other public facilities in Abuja could lose their land allocations if their premises are used by groups deemed illegal, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has warned.
The warning was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, amid increasing political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the FCTA, the measure is part of efforts to strengthen security across the Federal Capital Territory and complement ongoing operations by security agencies to protect lives and property.
The administration maintained that all lands within the FCT are allocated for lawful purposes and warned that any facility found hosting meetings or activities of organisations operating outside the law would face stiff penalties.
“Going forward, title documents of any event centre, hotel or public building that is used for the gathering of illegal organisations will be revoked,” the statement said.
It added that hotels, event centres and similar establishments across Abuja would be closely monitored to ensure they are not used for activities capable of threatening public peace, safety and security.
The FCTA also advised operators of such facilities to thoroughly vet organisations seeking to rent their premises and confirm their legal status before approving bookings.
Drawing attention to the ongoing political season, the administration urged hotel and event centre owners to transact only with leaderships of political parties officially 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.
The administration warned that failure to comply with the directive could result in sanctions, including the revocation of land titles attached to affected properties.
The warning reflects growing concerns within the FCTA over the use of public facilities for unauthorised political and group activities in Abuja as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
