Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has asked states to regulate excessive upfront rent demands following viral incident in Benin City, Edo.
Atiku made call in a post on his X handle on Sunday while reacting to report of tenant in Benin City who allegedly assaulted his landlord for increasing rent from N300,000 to N1 million.
‘No rent dispute should ever end in blood, and I urge calm on all sides. Yet viral scenes from Benin City speak to pain that young renters across Nigeria know well: sudden increases, arbitrary charges, and nowhere fair to turn,’ he said.
He said states should adopt laws that reflect current wage realities and protect both tenants and landlords.
‘I will require states to adopt wage-reflective tenancy laws, regulate excessive upfront rent demands, set clear rules for rent increases and evictions, and create fast, accessible dispute resolution for landlords and tenants alike. A roof over one’s head should not be a battlefield,’ Atiku said.