Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has slammed the University of Abuja chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, over its threat to shut down the institution over land.
At a media parley on Thursday, Wike questioned what right the union has to challenge land allocation in Abuja.
According to him, land administration in the FCT is the responsibility of the FCT Administration and has nothing to do with any trade union.
"What is the business of ASUU on our land? How is ASUU the owner of land? Is ASUU the owner of the union in Nigeria now? Is it the union's right?" Wike queried.
He also dismissed claims that the FCTA was grabbing land, stating that the administration was only enforcing the Abuja Master Plan and recovering land that was allocated but left undeveloped without proper documentation and approvals.
The minister equally described the strike threat by the union as blackmail, noting that the FCTA will not be pressured into reversing its decisions, and that it is ready to defend the allocations if ASUU goes to court.
Recall that the face-off started on Tuesday when ASUU UniAbuja chairman, Professor Sylvanus Ugoh, addressed a press conference in Abuja, accusing Wike of allocating portions of the university land in Giri District to private individuals and companies, despite a court order restraining him.
According to ASUU, Justice F.E. Mesiri of the Maitama High Court granted an interlocutory injunction on August 18, 2026, barring Wike from entering or interfering with the disputed land.
The union alleged that on September 26, 2026, portions of the land were still allocated to private interests, stressing that the university was allocated 11,824 hectares when it was established in 1988, and the land is needed for future expansion, hostels, research centres and innovation hubs.
‘What’s your business with land’ - Wike blasts UniAbuja lecturers as strike looms