Former President Muhammadu Buhari rejected an offer to acquire a parcel of land in Abuja during his presidency, according to his spokesman, Garba Shehu.
The clarification comes in response to media reports suggesting that the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) seized a piece of land allegedly owned by Buhari.
Shehu explained that when Buhari and members of his cabinet were invited to apply for land in Abuja, the former president declined the offer, returning the application forms unfilled. Buhari emphasized that he already owned land in the city and felt others, who lacked property, should be prioritized instead.
The land in question, registered under the Muhammadu Buhari Foundation, is not personally owned by the former president. Shehu further detailed the bureaucratic hurdles faced by the Foundation during the land acquisition process, including unusually high charges for the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy.
Shehu clarified that Buhari, as a private individual, had no involvement in any contentious land allocations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He urged media commentators to verify their facts and avoid spreading misleading narratives that could damage the former president’s reputation.
This statement comes amid heightened interest in the list of beneficiaries whose land allocations were revoked by the FCTA due to unpaid fees.
