2027: YPP Candidate Young Vows Rent Hike Crackdown, Targets Shylock Landlords

Atakulu Ugochukwu Young

By Prosper Okoye

The Young Progressive Party (YPP) candidate for AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the 2027 House of Representatives election, Atakulu Ugochukwu Young, has pledged to tackle soaring rents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), promising to make rent regulation his first legislative priority if elected.

Young made the pledge on Sunday in Abuja during the inauguration of his campaign council, where he outlined housing, multiple taxation and transportation as the key priorities of his proposed legislative agenda.

He said his first legislative proposal at the National Assembly would be a bill to regulate rent increases, arguing that the sharp rise in rental costs was forcing many residents out of their homes and making housing increasingly unaffordable.

Citing cases in which annual rents had reportedly risen from N800,000 to N3.5 million and from N400,000 to N3 million, Young accused some landlords of imposing exorbitant increases that were beyond the reach of ordinary tenants.

“Young men and young women have been driven out of their houses. Why? Because one landlord increased their rents by 500 per cent,” he said.

Young estimated that 70 per cent of FCT residents were struggling with housing costs. He proposed limiting rent adjustments to 10 per cent over a three-year period, saying the measure would provide tenants with greater certainty and help them plan their finances.

He said his proposed legislation would differ from other rent-related bills before the House of Representatives, which, according to him, focused mainly on tenancy rights and restrictions on advance rent payments rather than directly addressing the scale of rent increases.

On taxation, Young said he would pursue clearer rules to prevent businesses from being subjected to multiple charges, arguing that predictable tax obligations would enable operators to plan their costs, sustain their businesses and make investment decisions.

He also called for a more organised public bus system operating along designated routes across the FCT.

According to him, the system would provide commuters with a reliable alternative to private vehicles while helping to curb “one chance” robberies, in which criminals disguise themselves as commercial transport operators to rob unsuspecting passengers.

Young disclosed that his campaign had established structures in all 22 wards across AMAC and Bwari, with 12 coordinators in AMAC and 10 in Bwari.

He said the coordinators had experience in previous elections and would help drive the party’s grassroots mobilisation.
The YPP presidential candidate, Dr Peter Agada, urged supporters to trust Young’s commitment to the campaign, describing him as a candidate determined to bring about meaningful change.

“He wants to make a difference. And he said he’s slow, but he’s definite. Please trust him,” Agada said.

Agada also presented a rent-to-own housing proposal contained in his presidential manifesto, arguing that Nigerians should be able to channel rental payments towards eventual ownership of the properties they occupy.

“What Nigeria needs now is not people to pay house rents. What we need now is rent to own,” he said.

He explained that under the proposal, tenants’ payments would gradually reduce the cost of their homes until ownership was transferred to them.

Agada described YPP as a platform for young Nigerians and said the party had gained national visibility.

The party’s FCT chairman, Abraham Simeon Adedotun, urged supporters to mobilise behind its candidates, saying the party was relying on personal resources and grassroots organisation rather than public funds.

He accused established political interests of using money to attract supporters and urged young Nigerians not to trade their political choices for short-term financial inducements.

Adedotun also challenged claims that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would win the FCT in the 2027 elections, insisting that YPP was building its support base across the territory through ward coordinators and area council structures.

In the AMAC/Bwari race, Young is expected to face APC candidate John Shekwogaza Gabaya.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ahmed Dogara Jacob, was reported to have stepped down in Gabaya’s favour in October.