Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu led federal government of attempting to frustrate the African Democratic Congress (ADC) convention by allegedly targeting the venue scheduled to host the event.
In a post shared on his official X handle on Tuesday, Atiku described reports that authorities planned to revoke the licence of Rainbow Event Centre, the venue for the ADC convention, as a misuse of power and an attack on democratic principles.
“The reports from the spokesperson of our great party, which exposes the plans of the government and its agents to revoke the licence of Rainbow Event Centre for the singular offence of hosting the African Democratic Congress convention slated for today, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, is a shameful and cowardly abuse of public office,” Atiku wrote.
He argued that pressuring a private business to deny an opposition party access to a venue undermines democratic governance.
“Let it be said without equivocation: coercing a private business owner to deny a lawfully registered opposition party the use of a venue is not governance. It is not politics. It is the naked conduct of a regime that has lost the argument, lost the people, and now reaches for the boot because it has nothing else left.”
The former presidential candidate maintained that the party had fulfilled all necessary requirements to use the venue, insisting there was no legal basis to stop the convention.
“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 stated.
Atiku further warned that such actions could weaken democratic institutions and restrict political participation.
“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,” he said.
He also called on the international community to take note of the development.
“To the international community, and every democratic partner of Nigeria: take note of what is being done here tonight, and in whose name.”
Despite the alleged pressure, Atiku insisted that the opposition would remain resolute.
“We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced. We will not bow to this creeping tyranny, and we will never bow to the petty tyrants behind it.”
He concluded by expressing confidence that the event would proceed as planned and that the opposition would continue to grow.
“The convention will hold. The ADC will rise. And Nigeria will rise with it.”