ADC CONVENTION TO PROCEED TODAY DESPITE CONCERNS OVER VENUE

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By:Tajudeen Aminat

Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, has said the African Democratic Congress (ADC) national convention will go ahead on Tuesday despite earlier worries over the availability of the Rainbow Event Centre in Abuja.

Melaye, a chieftain of the party, made the statement while addressing journalists at the venue of the convention.

This comes after the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, alleged on Monday night that there was a last-minute move involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Federal Capital Development Authority to pressure the venue owner into cancelling the event.

Abdullahi condemned the alleged action, describing it as political intimidation and “creeping tyranny.”

“After paying all the required fees and making preparations for our convention tomorrow, the owner of Rainbow Event Centre has informed us that he is under pressure from the FCDA and the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, that his licence will be revoked if he allows the ADC to use his facility,” Abdullahi said in a statement on X.

He further explained that a formal agreement had already been signed and payment fully made, describing the situation as an attempt to disrupt the party’s constitutional activities.

“However, we have already signed a contract with him. We will proceed with our convention tomorrow as scheduled at the Rainbow Event Centre.”

“We will not give in to this creeping tyranny, and certainly not to this petty tyrant,” the spokesperson said.

Addressing journalists at the venue, Melaye maintained that the party would proceed with the event as scheduled.

“We did not vacate the Rainbow Event Centre because we have a valid signed contract,” he said.

“We made full payment for this venue for the ADC convention, and we will hold the event here.”

“With a binding contract with the management, there was no way anyone could have stopped us from going ahead with the convention,” he said.

Neither Wike nor the FCDA had responded to the latest allegations at the time of filing this report.

The development follows claims by Kola Ologbondiyan, media aide to the embattled ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, who said on Monday that the party had not secured a venue less than 24 hours to the event, alleging sabotage.

“Twenty-four hours to the ADC National Convention, the Nigerians-aligned political party is yet to be allocated a venue,” he said.

Ologbondiyan further explained that the party had formally written to the office of the FCT Minister seeking permission to use Eagle Square, but received no response despite confirmation that the request was acknowledged.

He also noted that attempts to secure alternative locations at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, including the Velodrome, were unsuccessful.

In response, Wike dismissed the allegations, saying no official application had been submitted.

He maintained that Eagle Square is available to all groups as long as due process is followed and the required fees are paid.

“We do not deny access; in fact, these events generate revenue for the government.

“Who denied them? I am not aware of any such development, and I don’t even know which party you are referring to,” he said.