THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged that its planned national convention venue in Abuja is under threat, claiming that the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, is mounting pressure on the facility’s owner to withdraw hosting rights less than 24 hours to the event.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, raised the alarm in a statement Monday night.
He stated that the owner of the Rainbow Event Center in Garki Area 8 had been warned against allowing the party to use the facility.
According to him, the venue owner was allegedly told that his licence could be revoked by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, if he proceeds with hosting the convention.
Abdullahi said the party had already fulfilled all financial obligations and signed a contract with the venue before the development.
“After paying all the fees required, setting up for our convention tomorrow, the owner of Rainbow Event centre has just informed us that he has come under pressure from the FCDA and Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike that if he allows the ADC the use of his facilities, his licence will be revoked,” he said.
Despite the alleged threat, the ADC insisted that its convention would go ahead as scheduled at the venue.
“We have already signed the contract with him. We will hold our convention tomorrow as planned at the Rainbow event centre. We will not bow to this creeping tyranny. And definitely not to this petty tyrant,” Abdullahi added.
The latest development comes amid mounting challenges facing the party ahead of its convention.
The ADC had earlier fixed the Rainbow Event Center, located at Plot 1193A, off Southern Parkway in Garki Area 8, as the venue for the convention scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
The location, behind the FCDA/AGIS building and near the NTA headquarters in Area 11, was announced after the party raised concerns over its inability to secure a venue in Abuja.
Chairman of the party’s media sub-committee for the convention, Kola Ologbondiyan, had disclosed that the ADC initially applied to use Eagle Square but received no response, despite submitting a request to the FCT Minister’s office.
He added that efforts to secure an alternative venue at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium were unsuccessful, while some private event centres allegedly declined the party’s requests over fear of repercussions.
However, Wike dismissed the claims, stating that no political party would be denied access to public facilities if due process was followed, and maintained that he was unaware of any formal application by the ADC.
Atiku described development as “shameful” “cowardly abuse of public office”
Reacting to the development, former Vice President, and one of the leaders of the ADC, Atiku Abubakar, described the development as a “shameful and cowardly abuse of public office.”
Atiku said attempts to coerce a private business owner into denying an opposition party access to a venue amounted to an attack on democratic principles and the right to free assembly.
“The ADC has paid every fee. The ADC has signed every contract. The ADC has broken no law. Our only offence is that we are organising, we are growing, and we are preparing to retire this failed government at the ballot box in 2027,” he said.
He warned that such actions could undermine Nigeria’s democracy, alleging that they reflect a broader pattern of suppressing opposition voices.
“This is how democracies are strangled, not in a single dramatic blow, but in a thousand petty, vindictive acts against opposition parties, against free assembly, and against the sacred right of citizens to choose their own leaders. To the international community, and every democratic partner of Nigeria: take note of what is being done here tonight, and in whose name,” Abubakar added.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M