The decision by leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to invest heavily in its national secretariat is drawing fresh scrutiny as the party begins building a new headquarters in Abuja barely four years after purchasing its current one.
The party’s existing headquarters, popularly known as Buhari House, sits at 40, Blantyre Street, Wuse II, Abuja. It was fully acquired in 2021 for over N2.5 billion and named after former President Muhammadu Buhari, after the party initially occupied it on lease.
Insiders say the purchase was followed by extensive renovations costing additional billions, though no official figures were disclosed. Despite the investment, plans for a new complex emerged in July 2025 when President Bola Tinubu urged party governors to collaborate with Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, to secure land for a befitting headquarters.
The move has sparked debate among party members and analysts. Critics argue that embarking on another multi-billion-naira project amid economic hardship and insecurity could send the wrong signal.
The development has raised questions about priorities, planning, governance and long-term political strategy. The party had moved into the current building at 40, Blantyre Street in Wuse II, Abuja,, before formally acquiring full ownership of the property in 2021 for over N2.5 billion.
This is just the beginning
Our correspondent gathered that the party initially occupied the building on a lease arrangement. Sources disclosed that it first paid N115 million before subsequently completing the full payment to secure ownership of the property.
Party insiders also told our correspondent that the purchase marked only the beginning of a series of expenditures tied to the facility.
After the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, led by Mai Mala Buni, Yobe State governor, handed over to a new National Working Committee (NWC), led by Abdullahi Adamu, former governor of Nasarawa State, the secretariat underwent extensive renovations.
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Multiple sources familiar with the project disclosed that the redesign, structural modifications and interior upgrades cost additional billions of naira, though no official figures have been publicly released.
Tinubu pushes for a new multi-billion naira complex
On July 24, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed party stakeholders to initiate plans for acquiring a larger piece of land in Abuja for a new national secretariat.
Speaking during the 14th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the State House, Tinubu urged governors of the party to work with Nyesom Wike, FCT Minister, to secure a befitting location for the project.
“There are governors here, 23 of them. They should help the FCT minister, and we should put a committee together to find appropriate land to build a befitting secretariat,” Tinubu had said.
The directive immediately sparked debate within political circles and among policy watchers, many of whom questioned the timing and necessity of embarking on another multi-billion-naira infrastructure project for a party headquarters despite the socio-economic, security and other challenges bedeviling the country.
Experts argue that acquiring land in Abuja and constructing a new national secretariat would cost significantly more than the amount spent on Buhari House, potentially running into tens of billions of Naira depending on scale and location.
Following the directive, Nentawe Yilwatda, National Chairman of the APC, confirmed at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja that the party had secured land for the proposed project.
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“I am pleased to inform members of the committee that the APC has acquired a new property in the Central Business District of Abuja, close to the Old Parade Ground, for the construction of a befitting national secretariat complex,” he said.
Impeccable sources at the APC national headquarters told BusinessDay that the party has secured the Certificate of Occupancy and other title documents for the project.
BusinessDay has also been reliably informed that the party has paid for, and secured the architectural designs and engineering drawings for the project. However, the projected cost of the project and the timeline for its completion remain undisclosed.
From merger office to national power hub
BusinessDay reports that the party initially operated from a smaller office at No. 6 Bissau Street in Abuja following its formation in 2013.
The party emerged from the merger of five opposition blocs, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and that of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), called the nPDP.
At the time, the modest office sufficed for a newly formed opposition coalition. But following electoral victories and consolidation of power, the party sought a headquarters befitting its new national status.
Within the party, views remain divided on whether investing further in a new secretariat is prudent.
Reactions trail new move
Chief Jackson Lekan Ojo, a former chieftain of the APC, told BusinessDay that he does not consider the current administration to be people-driven.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent, Ojo criticised what he called excessive spending at the presidency, citing the purchase of new presidential vehicles, a yacht and an aircraft rather than maintaining existing assets in the presidential fleet.
He also questioned the reported N19 billion renovation of the vice president’s residence and the installation of solar power at the Presidential Villa while, he said, nationwide electricity supply remains poor.
Ojo further expressed concern over worsening insecurity and economic hardship, suggesting that the government should prioritise relief for Nigerians rather than embark on projects such as a multi-billion-naira national secretariat.
He predicted that although the project may commence, it would not be completed, insisting that with the resolve of Nigerians, the APC would lose power in 2027, leaving the proposed complex abandoned.
Similarly, a member of the APC from the North East, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said building a new headquarters should not be a priority at a time Nigerians were grappling with economic hardship, insecurity and many other challenges.
“I think the focus of this administration should be on how governance will affect the people positively, not buildings,” he said.
Chief Chekwas Okorie, a former presidential candidate and elder statesman, however, told BusinessDay that he has no objection to any building project undertaken by the APC, provided it is not funded from the federation account.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant about the movement of public funds, stressing that political parties should rely on legitimate internal fundraising.
Okorie recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stopped providing grants to political parties many years ago, a policy he said encourages financial discipline and independence.
He said if the APC has credible means of generating resources without burdening government institutions or dipping into public coffers, there should be no cause for concern.
Okorie noted that President Tinubu appears convinced of victory in the 2027 elections, which may explain the party’s willingness to embark on the projects at this stage.
Gradual relocation
A credible party official, however, told our correspondent that while party leaders implement Tinubu’s directive, the Buhari House remains the party’s operating secretariat pending the completion of work on the new one.
“We bought the building. It is not rented, so relocation is not something to rush into,” he said. He disclosed that at a time, the party was considering creating a second entrance to the complex via an adjoining expressway to ease congestion and improve security at the current secretariat.
Our correspondent who has made several visits to the secretariat since the directive by President Tinubu, observed that new structures, including a befitting car park have been constructed within the premises.
However, attempts to obtain the party’s response on the project’s cost and funding plans were unsuccessful, as Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the APC, did not answer phone calls or respond to WhatsApp and text messages seeking comments.
Pundits have argued that the APC headquarters strategy will continue to attract scrutiny, not only for its financial implications but also for what it signals about the party’s priorities in a challenging economic climate.
