Abuja Leftist Coalition Demands End to Demolitions

By Chinedu Echianu

The Network of Abuja Left Groups has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of endangering the housing rights of residents through what it described as indiscriminate demolitions across the nation’s capital.

In a strongly worded statement released on Saturday, the coalition condemned Wike’s repeated threats to sustain demolitions of settlements in Abuja, warning that such actions risk worsening homelessness and the city’s housing crisis.

“Labeling those of us constantly affected by demolitions as criminals oversimplifies the issue and ignores the state’s responsibility to provide affordable housing and social support to all citizens,” the group said.

The coalition, which includes the Revolutionary Socialist Movement, Creative Change Centre, Socialist Workers League, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, and other allied organizations, described Wike’s approach as “callous” and “politically motivated,” arguing that demolitions neither address security concerns nor urban poverty.

Instead, they urged the Federal Government to step in and halt all demolitions until adequate housing alternatives are provided. They also welcomed the Senate’s call that demolitions should only proceed with court orders but insisted that a complete moratorium was necessary.

The groups further alleged that the demolitions were a cover for land grabbing, recalling past accusations that the FCT Minister had acquired large swathes of land in Abuja.

As an alternative to demolitions, the coalition called for inclusive urban planning, subsidized housing programs, job creation, and slum upgrading projects that integrate low-income communities into the city rather than displacing them.

In a dramatic warning, the coalition vowed to mobilize displaced residents to occupy “thousands of empty estate duplexes owned by corrupt politicians” in Abuja if the government fails to address the housing crisis.

“The Network of Abuja Left Groups stands in solidarity with residents and traders affected by demolitions. We reject every attempt to turn houses in Abuja into stocks for property speculation instead of homes for the people to live in,” the statement concluded.

The declaration was signed by ten activists representing different leftist and civil rights organizations under the banner #StopWikeLandGrab.