A mounting real-estate dispute has spilled into Nigeria’s political arena as Emperor City Integrated Limited refutes social-media accusations that its Managing Director, Alhaji Musa Mubarak Saliu, swindled a buyer out of ₦90 million.
The allegations, posted by businesswoman Hajiya Zainab Abubakar and amplified across multiple blogs, assert that the former Kogi gubernatorial hopeful pocketed payment for plots in Wuye District, Abuja, that were later demolished.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Emperor City termed the post “malicious fabrication,” insisting the recorded sum was ₦47 million, not ₦90 million.
“Payment was made into our corporate account, and full receipts exist,” the firm’s media lead said. “When the FCDA demolished the site for overriding public interest, we promptly offered either an equivalent plot or a complete refund. Both options were rejected.”
The company maintained that the disagreement is already before a Federal Capital Territory High Court after earlier reports to the EFCC and the IGP Monitoring Unit. Court filings reviewed by The Chronicle confirm that mediation talks collapsed in February, prompting a civil claim for damages now exceeding ₦150 million.
Analysts said the public row illustrates how routine commercial disputes can morph into reputational battles when politics collides with property. “Because Mubarak is a recognizable political figure, an ordinary contract dispute now reads like a corruption scandal,” noted Abuja-based legal commentator Isah Garba.
Emperor City warns that it will pursue libel proceedings if the online posts are not retracted. Hajiya Zainab, contacted by phone, stood her ground: “The facts will emerge in court,” she said, declining further comment.
As both sides trade barbs in the press, the substantive case is slated for hearing on 18 June. Until then, the demolition site in Wuye remains an empty scar—a physical reminder of a clash that now threatens to reshape careers on and off the campaign trail.
