By Prosper Okoye
Atakulu Ugochukwu Young, candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) for AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the 2027 House of Representatives election, has pledged to make rent control his first 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 major issues he intends to address.
He said his first legislative move at the National Assembly would be to sponsor a bill to regulate rent increases, noting that the rising cost of accommodation had forced many residents to struggle to keep their homes.
Citing instances where annual rents had jumped from N800,000 to N3.5 million and from N400,000 to N3 million, Young said some landlords were imposing increases that tenants could no longer afford.
“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 increases to 10 per cent within a three-year period, arguing that the measure would give tenants some relief and enable them to plan their finances.
He maintained that his proposed bill would address an aspect of rent regulation which, according to him, had not received adequate attention in other bills before the House of Representatives. He said existing proposals focused largely on tenancy rights and advance rent payments without adequately addressing how much landlords could increase rents.
On multiple taxation, Young said he would push for clearer tax regulations to prevent businesses from being subjected to several charges by different authorities. He explained that businesses needed predictable tax obligations to enable them to plan their operations and make investment decisions.
He also called for an organised public bus system with designated routes across the FCT. According to him, an efficient bus network would reduce dependence on private vehicles and help tackle the activities of criminals operating under the guise of commercial transport operators, commonly known as “one chance”.
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 participated in previous elections and understood the demands of grassroots mobilisation.
The YPP presidential candidate, Dr Peter Agada, urged supporters to give Young their backing, describing him as a candidate determined to make a difference.
“He wants to make a difference. And he said he’s slow, but he’s definite. Please trust him,” Agada said.
Agada also presented the rent-to-own housing proposal contained in his presidential manifesto, arguing that Nigerians should be able to apply their rental payments towards eventual ownership of the houses 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, occupants would gradually pay towards the purchase 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, called on supporters to mobilise for its candidates, saying YPP was relying on personal resources and grassroots support rather than public funds to prosecute its campaigns.
He accused established political interests of using money to attract supporters and urged young Nigerians not to sell their political choices for short-term financial gains.
Adedotun also dismissed claims that the All Progressives Congress would win the FCT in the 2027 elections, insisting that YPP was building its support base through ward coordinators and area council structures.
In the AMAC/Bwari contest, Young is expected to face the APC candidate, John Shekwogaza Gabaya. The PDP candidate, Ahmed Dogara Jacob, was reported to have stepped down in Gabaya’s favour in October.
