An Abuja woman has cried over the demolition of her property. She is a supporter of President Bola Tinubu. She told political commentator Isaac Fayose that she backed the party fully. Yet authorities razed her garden in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Fayose called on FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to intervene. The video has circulated widely. Reactions range from sympathy to support for urban planning.
The FCT has a long history of demolitions. In 2003, Nasir el-Rufai's administration demolished thousands of structures in Abuja. In 2016, the Muhammadu Buhari administration cleared settlements in Mpape and Nyanya. In 2024, the Wike-led FCT administration intensified enforcement against illegal structures. Each cycle produces displacement. Each cycle produces protests. Each cycle produces promises of compensation that rarely materialise. The pattern is consistent. The names change. The outcome does not.
The woman’s garden was demolished in the FCT. The video does not specify the exact location. Enforcement has been ongoing in areas like Mpape and Iddo. The FCT Administration says it is restoring the master plan. Officials argue that illegal structures violate zoning laws. They say demolitions are necessary for orderly development. Residents say they were not given adequate notice. They say compensation is not paid. They say enforcement targets the poor while powerful violators are spared.
The woman’s political loyalty is the emotional hook. She supported Tinubu. She supported the APC. She believed her allegiance would protect her. It did not. Her garden was razed. Her loss is personal. It is also political. It exposes the gap between campaign promises and governance reality. Loyalty to a party does not guarantee protection from that party’s policies.
Fayose’s intervention is significant. He is a political commentator. He has a platform. His call to Wike may produce a response. It may not. The FCT Minister has not commented on the specific case. The FCT Administration has not issued a statement. The woman’s fate depends on whether the case gains enough attention.
The broader context is enforcement. The FCT is pursuing urban renewal. It wants to restore the master plan. It wants to clear illegal structures. The goal is defensible. The method is contested. Demolitions without resettlement plans create homelessness. They destroy livelihoods. They breed resentment. They also undermine the political support the government needs.
Winners: FCT authorities, if enforcement restores order. Developers, who gain cleared land. Urban planners, who see the master plan enforced. Losers: The woman, who lost her garden. Other residents facing demolition. APC supporters, who see loyalty unrewarded. The government, which faces backlash. The poor, who bear the brunt of enforcement. The political class, which is reminded that voters remember.
Bottom Line: A woman supported the APC. Her garden was demolished. She cried on camera. The FCT says it is enforcing the law. She says she was loyal. Both are true. The lesson is simple: political loyalty is not a shield against government action. In Abuja, the bulldozer does not check party membership.