‘We won’t bow to tyranny,’ Atiku slams alleged move to stop ADC convention

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned alleged efforts to revoke the operating licence of Rainbow Event Centre in Abuja over its decision to host the African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Convention.

Business Hallmark had reported that ADC national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, of pressuring the event centre to cancel the party’s booking.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Atiku described the development as an abuse of power and a threat to democratic freedoms, insisting that the opposition party had met all legal and financial obligations required to secure the venue.

He said the ADC had paid for the facility, signed all necessary agreements, and complied with every condition for hosting the event scheduled for Tuesday.

Atiku alleged that pressure was being mounted on the venue’s management to withdraw from the agreement, describing the action as politically motivated.

He argued that the party’s only “offence” was its increasing political relevance and preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“The reports… exposing plans by government agents to revoke the licence of Rainbow Event Centre for the singular offence of hosting the African Democratic Congress convention is a shameful and cowardly abuse of public office,” he said.

The former vice president maintained that coercing a private business to deny a lawfully registered political party access to a venue amounted to intimidation rather than governance.

According to him, such actions reflect intolerance for opposition activity and signal a worrying trend in Nigeria’s democratic space.

Atiku warned that continued attempts to frustrate opposition parties could erode democratic norms and undermine citizens’ rights to free association and political participation.

He also called on the international community and Nigeria’s democratic partners to take note of the situation, saying it raises concerns about the state of political freedoms in the country.

Despite the controversy, Atiku insisted that the ADC would not be deterred, stressing that the convention would go ahead as planned.

“We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced. We will not bow to this creeping tyranny,” he said, reaffirming the party’s commitment to its political programme.

The development comes amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition parties stepping up mobilisation efforts nationwide.