Barely 24 hours to its scheduled national convention, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has revealed that it is yet to secure a venue in Abuja, raising fresh concerns over alleged attempts to frustrate the party’s activities.
The disclosure was made by a party chieftain, Kola Ologbondiyan, who on Monday, in a post on his X account, detailed what the party described as a series of setbacks and repeated refusals by both government-controlled and private venues.
According to Ologbondiyan, the party had formally applied to use the Eagles Square and submitted a letter to the office of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Although the request was acknowledged, he said no approval has been granted.
“As the bromide has shown, a letter was presented to the Office of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister for a permit to use the Eagles Square. The letter was acknowledged but no response,” he stated.
He further revealed that efforts to secure the Velodrome at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium also failed, despite multiple visits to officials of the Federal Ministry of Sports.
“The ADC team paid several visits to the Ministry of Sports officials at the MKO Stadium. At the end, ADC was refused the use of the Velodrome,” the statement added.
In what the party described as a worsening situation, Ologbondiyan alleged that privately-owned event centres in Abuja are declining requests from the party due to fear of intimidation or reprisals.
“To make matters worse, privately owned event centres in Abuja are turning down the ADC’s requests for fears of harassment in various forms from the government,” he said.
Despite the logistical challenges, the party insisted that its national convention would proceed as planned in Abuja on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in line with its earlier notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“All ADC members, teeming party supporters and indeed all Nigerians are assured that, as contained in the NOTICE issued to INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission), the ADC National Convention will hold in Abuja as scheduled on Tuesday, April 14th, 2026,” Ologbondiyan declared.
The latest development adds to earlier claims by the ADC that the administration of President Bola Tinubu was attempting to stifle opposition activities.
ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi had previously told SaharaReporters that the party’s request for Eagles Square was ignored, while access to the Velodrome was denied over a purported sporting event.
The venue crisis comes amid a broader internal leadership tussle within the party, involving factions linked to David Mark and Nafiu Bala, following the resignation of former chairman Ralph Nwosu in 2025.
INEC has declined to recognise either faction pending a court ruling, further complicating the party’s preparations.
The situation has also drawn in prominent opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Aminu Tambuwal, and Rauf Aregbesola, who recently protested at INEC headquarters, accusing the federal government of undermining opposition parties.
However, the Presidency, through spokesman Sunday Dare, has denied the allegations, insisting that all political parties have equal rights under the law.
With no confirmed venue and the clock ticking, the ADC’s insistence on proceeding with its convention signals a looming confrontation between the opposition party and authorities.
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