Plans to unveil the African Democratic Congress as a united political front for the opposition were disrupted on Wednesday when the venue unexpectedly cancelled a fully paid reservation just hours before the event.

The event, which was set to take place at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Asokoro, Abuja, was intended to officially present the ADC as the coalition platform to rival the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general elections.

However, the organisers were notified on Wednesday morning that the hotel would no longer host the programme due to an unspecified “internal compliance matter.”

A screenshot of the hotel’s message shared on Instagram by media personality and politician Dele Momodu stated, “Dear Esteemed Patron, Thank you once again for choosing the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments
We sincerely regret to inform you that due to an internal compliance matter that has just come to our attention, we are unable to proceed with hosting your scheduled event.
We are fully aware that the event is less than 24 hours away, and we deeply apologise for the timing and inconvenience this may cause.”

The cancellation sparked strong reactions from opposition leaders, with Momodu accusing the move of being politically motivated.

“The intimidation of opposition by a jittery government continues as the booking of a venue for the unveiling of the adopted party, ADC, by the coalition has been unilaterally and suddenly cancelled by the Management of the hotel due to what insiders described as fear of reprisals from APC operatives.
But this will not dampen the daredevil determination of opposition forces who are poised to hotly challenge the ruling party,” Momodu said.

In a statement included in Momodu’s post, Salihu Lukman, representing People and Passion Consult Ltd, criticised the hotel for breaching a valid agreement.

“This is unacceptable. Your management has no right to unilaterally sabotage a contract validly and legally agreed to and fully paid for. You must meet the terms of the contract fully by allowing the event to hold with full compliments of all the services agreed to. This is not negotiable,” Lukman said.

The unveiling was expected to bring together key political figures from different parties, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, and ex-governors Aminu Tambuwal, Sule Lamido, Liyel Imoke, and Sam Egwu.

Other expected attendees included Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Minister Rotimi Amaechi.

A faction within the African Democratic Congress has opposed the decision by the opposition coalition to adopt the party.

In a statement released by Musa Isa Matara, the faction’s national publicity secretary, the group emphasized that the party is not a “private coalition platform” meant to be taken over by elite figures.

Matara said key party stakeholders—including state executives, youth and women leaders, and ward coordinators—were not consulted prior to the announcement.

“We warn those coming into the ADC as part of this imposed arrangement to tread carefully. Be mindful that some few individuals are attempting to sell out the soul of our party for personal gain,” the statement said.

“The ADC is not for sale. It belongs to its members, not political merchants or elite dealmakers.”

BACKGROUND

On Tuesday, a group of opposition politicians and some ADC members gathered in Abuja for a meeting.

Present at the meeting were former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, David Mark, former senate president; Sule Lamido, ex-governor of Jigawa; Uche Secondus, former PDP national chairman; Babangida Aliyu, former governor of Niger; Sam Egwu, former governor of Ebonyi; Aminu Tambuwal, former governor of Sokoto; and Liyel Imoke, former governor of Cross River.

Following the meeting, the opposition figures adopted the ADC as their coalition platform and appointed Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, former Osun governor, as interim national chairman and secretary respectively.

Bolaji Abdullahi, a former sports minister, was named as the spokesperson for the coalition.

Responding to the development, Matara reiterated that party stakeholders—including the state executives, youth and women leaders, and ward coordinators—had been excluded from the process.

He stressed that while the party is not against a coalition, it stands firmly against “hijack and imposition”.

He added that the appointments had not been approved by either the party’s national executive committee or a national convention, rendering them invalid.

“The claim that the ADC has become the ‘platform of the National Opposition Coalition Group’ is misleading,” the statement continued.

“Our millions of members have not been informed or carried along in this so-called coalition.

“If anyone is attempting to force an opposition merger without grassroots consent, they are trampling on democratic ethics and party sovereignty.

“Let it be known to those who are trooping into our party under this chaotic coalition arrangement that the ADC has been battling unresolved legal crises since the 2023 general elections.

“These matters remain in court and unresolved. Any coalition attempt built on such shaky legal ground is irresponsible and potentially self-destructive.”

Efforts by a coalition of opposition politicians operating under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are facing resistance as a segment of stakeholders strongly rejects Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s appointment as the party’s Interim National Secretary.

The group, led by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Musa Isa Matara, issued a statement on Wednesday condemning what they described as the “attempted takeover” of the party by Aregbesola.

“We are not opposed to coalitions. We are not opposed to reform. But we are opposed to hijack, to imposition, and to speeches that sound revolutionary but hide elitist intentions beneath poetic language,” stated the stakeholders, which include women and youth groups within the party.

Matara emphasized that without a valid, constitutionally recognized ADC National Convention or National Executive Committee (NEC) endorsement, no one possesses the legal or moral authority to speak for the party at the national level.

According to the stakeholders, key figures such as the NEC, state chairmen, youth leaders, and elected national officers were not involved in the decision to name Aregbesola as the Interim National Secretary.

They argue that portraying the ADC as the “platform of the National Opposition Coalition Group” is misleading, asserting that millions of members were neither informed nor included in the decision-making process.

They stated, “If anyone is attempting to force an opposition merger without grassroots consent, they are trampling on democratic ethics and party sovereignty.”

The group further warned that those joining the party under the current coalition arrangement should proceed cautiously, citing ongoing unresolved legal disputes stemming from the 2023 general elections.

“These matters remain in court and unresolved. Any coalition attempt built on such shaky legal ground is irresponsible and potentially self-destructive,” they noted.

The statement added, “We warn those coming into the ADC as part of this imposed arrangement to tread carefully. Be mindful that some few individuals are attempting to sell out the soul of our party for personal gain. The ADC is not for sale. It belongs to its members, not political merchants or elite dealmakers.”