Venue Denied, Tyranny Alleged: ADC Convention Goes Ahead Amid Wike Feud and Opposition Fireworks
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) defied all odds this week to hold its national convention in Abuja, a gathering that was nearly derailed by a dramatic last-minute venue withdrawal and an ongoing leadership crisis. The party’s leadership has directly accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of trying to suppress the opposition, setting the stage for a fierce political battle ahead of the 2027 elections.
‘Creeping Tyranny’: The Fight for a Venue
In the hours leading up to the convention on Tuesday, April 14, the ADC was thrown into turmoil. The party had secured the Rainbow Event Centre in Garki, Abuja, and paid all required fees, only for the venue’s owner to threaten to cancel the contract at the last minute.
The ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, took to social media to reveal that the owner had been pressured by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. According to Abdullahi, the owner was warned that his operational licence would be revoked if he allowed the ADC to use the facility. The party leadership was defiant, with Abdullahi vowing, “We will not bow to this creeping tyranny. And definitely not to this petty tyrant. ADC is rising, Nigeria is rising”.
Senator Dino Melaye, who was present at the venue, described the standoff, alleging that orders to shut them down came “from the office of the FCT minister and from above”. Despite being cut off from electricity and water, the party pressed on, using its own generators to keep the convention alive.
The party had previously attempted to secure public facilities, including the iconic Eagle Square and the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Velodrome, but its requests were reportedly ignored or denied without explanation. Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and a key ADC chieftain, weighed in early on the day of the convention, condemning the alleged intimidation.
“To force 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,” Atiku wrote.
Minister Nyesom Wike has since denied the accusations, claiming the party never applied to use Eagle Square and that the stadium is under the National Sports Commission, not his authority.
A Convention of Heavyweights: The Onslaught Against Tinubu
With the venue secured against all odds, the convention became a platform for the ADC’s political titans to launch a blistering attack on the Tinubu administration. Under the theme “So That Nigeria May Work,” the party’s leaders declared that President Bola Tinubu would face a “stiff challenge” and that there would be “no coronation” in the 2027 elections.
Embattled ADC National Chairman and former Senate President David Mark, who was elected alongside his National Working Committee by over 3,000 delegates, told party members that every attempt to suppress the party had only “deepened the resolve of our members”. He warned that Nigerians were suffering unprecedented hardship and that a strong opposition was “essential to democracy’s survival”.
Rauf Aregbesola, a former Osun State Governor and APC chieftain who has since aligned with the ADC, was even more scathing. He directly called on President Tinubu to step down over the country’s worsening economic and security conditions.
“Ordinarily, having made such a promise and fared woefully, an honest president should simply step down,” Aregbesola declared. “There will be no coronation in 2027. There will be no Kabiyesi in the Presidential Villa”.
Other prominent figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, echoed the sentiment, accusing the government of undermining democratic institutions and failing to address a deteriorating security situation and rising poverty.
A House Divided: The Leadership Crisis
Despite the show of unity, the convention was marred by the party’s deep internal fissures. The ADC has been splintered into at least three factions following a protracted leadership dispute that began in 2025. A rival faction led by Nafiu Bala dismissed the Abuja gathering as illegitimate, insisting they would hold a separate convention after the Supreme Court’s ruling on the leadership tussle.
Furthermore, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had previously announced the delisting of key ADC figures, including Mark and Aregbesola, from its official register, citing a court order to maintain the status quo pending litigation. The Supreme Court has since fixed April 22, 2026, to hear the appeal arising from the ADC leadership crisis, leaving the party’s future structure in legal limbo.
Conclusion: A Defiant Opposition, But Can It Last?
The ADC’s national convention was a significant moment of defiance for Nigeria’s opposition. The party successfully held its gathering despite what it describes as overt government suppression, and it has succeeded in rallying its major political figures to present a united front against President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
However, the party remains deeply fractured. The legal battles and factional infighting threaten to undermine its credibility and effectiveness. For now, the ADC has sent a clear message of resistance. Whether it can resolve its internal conflicts and translate this defiance into electoral success remains the critical question facing Nigeria’s political landscape as the nation marches toward 2027.
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