ADC National Convention Faces Challenges As Govt Denies Venue Access
By: Abudu Olalekan
Abuja is heating up again. And you can feel the tension in the air.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is sounding the alarm. They claim the Tinubu administration is actively trying to block their national convention. Sounds dramatic? Maybe. But the party says authorities have shut down access to two major public spots. Eagle Square. The Velodrome. Both off limits.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC spokesperson, laid it out in an exclusive chat with Reportersroom on Friday. It wasn’t a polite rejection. He said the request for Eagle Square got ignored completely. Zero response. Then they tried the Velodrome instead. That door closed too. Official reason? A cycling championship is booked there.
“Not to my knowledge. We applied for the Eagle Square, but they have failed to respond,” Abdullahi said. It feels like stalling tactics.
When reporters pressed him on where the convention would actually happen now, he clammed up. “We are not disclosing that for now.” Smart move, maybe. Or just waiting for leverage.
This comes right when the party is already split. They’re fighting an internal leadership war while wrestling with INEC. Two factions—one backing David Mark, the other Nafiu Bala. Ralph Nwosu resigned way back in July 2025, sparking the chaos. INEC says they can’t recognize anyone until the courts settle it. Classic bureaucratic standstill.
Nwosu insists they aren’t scared off though. He told The Morning Brief they followed every rule. “We submitted our programme to INEC according to the law, and they endorsed it.” His point is valid. Legally speaking, they’re clear. “Whether they show up or not is their own volition.”
But here is the kicker. The convention is set for the 14th. They say it goes ahead regardless.
Then the plot thickened. Major opposition names showed up at INEC headquarters earlier this week. Atiku Abubakar. Peter Obi. Rotimi Amaechi. Even Aminu Tambuwal and Rauf Aregbesola were there. They protested loudly. Accusations flew everywhere. They accused the Tinubu gov’ment of turning Nigeria into a one-party state. Specifically targeting the ADC to weaken the opposition.
The Presidency pushed back hard on that. Sunday Dare, the Presidential spokesman, denied everything. Claims there is no plan to exclude parties. Says all registered groups have equal rights. Which makes sense on paper. But trust is thin these days.
So where does that leave us? ADC leaders say they’ll push through. Potential showdown looms between the opposition and the powers that be. If they don’t get a venue, what happens next? Nobody really knows. But with INEC staying silent on the court case and the President dismissing complaints, things might get messy fast.
One thing is sure. The game of chess is still being played in Abuja. And the ADC doesn’t think the board is safe anymore.
