ABUJA – The African Democratic Congress will hold its national convention at the Rainbow Event Centre in Garki, Abuja, despite a last-minute attempt to deny the party access, while dismissing claims that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been suspended.
National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said on Monday night that the proprietor of Rainbow Event Centre withdrew permission to use the venue after “pressure from the FCDA and Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike.” “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,” Abdullahi said on X.
He insisted the party would not back down. “But 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. ADC is rising, Nigeria is rising,” he said. The ADC turned to Rainbow Event Centre after authorities declined its requests to use Eagle Square and the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Velodrome.
The party denied any suspension of Atiku. “There is no evidence that Atiku has been suspended from the ADC,” Abdullahi said. Atiku attended an ADC stakeholders meeting in Abuja with Nasir el-Rufai, David Mark, Aminu Tambuwal and others. “I am currently at the stakeholders meeting of the Coalition African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja. It’s a meeting of the Nigerian people against the oligarchs who promote poverty and insecurity in the land,” Atiku wrote on X. He has collected his ADC registration card, and the party has ruled out automatic tickets for any aspirant in 2027.
The venue dispute comes amid legal battles. INEC derecognised ADC’s leadership, including Chairman David Mark and Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, following Appeal No. CA/ABJ/145/2026 linked to a dispute with Nafiu Bala Gombe. INEC said it would not recognise Mark’s team pending a Federal High Court decision. The ADC accused INEC of interfering in party affairs. “INEC has no mandate to act as an interpreter of judicial decisions or interfere in the internal affairs of political parties,” the party said.
In a separate case, the Federal High Court rejected an ex parte bid to restrain FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe from ADC activities. Justice Peter Lifu ordered that all processes be served on her.
“We are glad that we have kept disagreements and conflicts within our party relatively low. So, it’s not going to be business as usual,” Abdullahi said.
