Allegations: FCT Minister Wike Gave Prime Land, $50,000 Each to Over 29 Senior INEC Officials

Serious allegations have emerged suggesting that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, may have exerted undue influence on senior officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) through land allocations and financial inducements, raising fresh concerns about the electoral umpire’s independence and credibility.

According to insiders within INEC, more than 29 senior officials of the Commission were offered parcels of land within the Federal Capital Territory, along with financial incentives reportedly exceeding $50,000 per individual.

Those named include the Secretary to the Commission, several National Commissioners, and Directors. Specifically, the individuals allegedly involved are: Mrs. Rose Omoa Oriaran-Anthony (Secretary to the Commission); National Commissioners Sam Olumekun, Dr. Ken Ukeagu, Mr. Haruna Mohammed, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, Dr. Bala Bila, Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, Prof. Sani Adam (SAN), Abdulrazaq Tukur Yusuf, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, and Prof. Nwambam Aja; as well as Directors Olawale Ibrahim S., Dr. Binta K. Mohammed, Isah Magaji Gummi, Lawrence Bayode, Victoria Eta-Messi, and six other Directors.

The sources further allege that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, may have indirectly benefited from similar arrangements, with a particularly large parcel of land reportedly exceeding 30 hectares linked to him via proxy.

According to the reports, the land allocations initially came with Rights of Occupancy. However, due to non-payment of the required Certificate of Occupancy fees within the stipulated 21-day period as required under FCT/AGIS (Abuja Geographic Information System) regulations the allocations were reportedly revoked.

Subsequent interventions allegedly included financial assistance to cover the fees or complete waivers, enabling officials to retain ownership without personal cost. Each plot’s estimated market value is said to exceed ₦180 million.

Efforts to reach Lere Olayinka, media aide to the FCT Minister, for comment were unsuccessful, as he neither answered calls nor responded to a text message. Similar attempts to obtain a reaction from the INEC Chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, also proved unsuccessful.

INEC Removes ADC Leaders’ Names from Portal Amid Court Dispute

In a separate development, INEC recently announced plans to remove the names of former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola from its official portal as leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing a subsisting court dispute over the party’s leadership. Mark is the National Chairman of the ADC, while Aregbesola is the National Secretary.

The electoral body also declared that it would suspend recognition of any faction or leadership of the ADC pending the final determination of the case before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The decision was contained in a press statement issued by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna.

INEC said the move followed “preservatory orders” issued by the Court of Appeal in an appeal involving Senator David Mark and Nafiu Bala Gombe. The commission explained that the court had directed all parties to maintain the existing situation before the suit was filed and to refrain from actions that could undermine the ongoing proceedings.

It was later confirmed that INEC had removed the names of the ADC leaders from its portal, replacing them with the notation “By court order.”

Meanwhile, the ADC has called for the immediate resignation of the INEC Chairman, accusing the electoral body of partisanship and undermining Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections. The opposition party insisted that the Commission had lost the credibility required to conduct free, fair, and transparent elections.

In response, Prof. Amupitan defended the commission’s decision to derecognise the National Working Committee aligned with the Mark-led ADC, insisting that the electoral body merely complied with subsisting court orders and did not take sides in the ongoing leadership dispute rocking the party.