Trending 
The Deputy Chairman of ADC Convention Media Support Subcommittee and Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ladan Salihu, has confirmed that the party’s national convention will commence as scheduled, Tuesday, April 14, at the Rainbow Event Centre in Area 8, Abuja, which is the new venue amid earlier uncertainty over securing key locations.
Salihu made this revelation in an interview with Arise News on Monday, April 13. He stated, “I can announce to Nigerians that our convention is holding at the Rainbow Event Centre, Area 8, here in the Federal Capital Territory, just a few hundred meters away from the FCT Administration headquarters. All arrangements are in top gear.”
He added that the party was leaving no stone unturned and remained confident about the result of the convention.
“I just left the convention venue, and protocol, security, and all other subcommittees are working in synergy to see the convention goes on as planned. We are leaving no stone unturned. Nigerians can watch us live on major networks; we are very upbeat about the outcome. We’re not bothered about the challenges we face; we’re looking up to tomorrow”, he added.
Salihu said the party’s national body and convention committee are concerned with securing venues, including Eagle Square and several major hotels within the FCT, but those attempts were futile. He claimed that there was no visible activity at major facilities during checks and suggested that the party had been deliberately denied access to preferred locations.
He insisted that the party had submitted applications and made payments where required, but the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, claimed that no formal application had been made.
“Our National body and the convention committee made contact with Abuja Investment and all those associated with securing the venues. We hunted for Eagle Square and even major hotels in the FCT. Right now, when I was walking into your studio, I stopped by the Congress Hall to see whether there was any activity—no activity. No activity in Abuja Continental or any major hotel in Abuja.
“Our findings indicate that directly or indirectly, through third parties and apologies of the APC, the FCT Minister and the government made sure we couldn’t secure any of these venues. The national symbol of our political cohesion is the Eagle Square. It has been consistently used by political parties, irrespective of whoever is in power. But today, this is the shame of a nation that the main opposition political party is clearly denied the right to undertake our convention there. We applied. What the FCT Minister said is totally incorrect,” he noted.
The Chieftain of the ADC confidently maintained that the legitimacy and integrity of the party’s planned convention remain unquestionable. Under the Electoral Act, internal party matters are strictly the affairs of political parties.
“The legitimacy and integrity of our convention tomorrow is never in doubt. Look at the Electoral Act; it is very explicit that this is the internal affair of a political party.”
Salihu expressed that any Supreme Court ruling delivered soon would be favourable to the ADC.
“If the Supreme Court pronounces a judgment tomorrow, it will be in favor of the ADC,” he said.
He confirmed that the party complied with the mandatory 21-day notice requirement, noting that the timing was set to avoid clashes with potential court outcomes and nomination deadlines.
He explained, “Yes, we did. We are trying to prevent a situation where you have a judgment in your favor in the courts but you’re running out of time to undertake the convention and produce your presidential nominees”.
The ADC Chieftain also said he believed in the judiciary and that ADC was moving forward in good faith. He insists that Nigerians will have something to celebrate on Monday.
“We believe in the integrity of the judicial system. Tomorrow this time, Nigerians will be celebrating,” Salihu assured.
