Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC)’s media and publicity sub-committee for its convention, Kola Ologbondiyan, has described the repeated denial of venues for its convention in Abuja as a very shameful ordeal.
NOP NIGERIA reports that Ologbondiyan made the remark while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday.
Ologbondiyan said the party encountered several obstacles in securing a venue, recounting an incident in which party officials were invited to inspect an event centre in Mabushi, Abuja, but were turned back upon arrival.
According to Ologbondiyan, the situation was strange because it was not election season, adding that political pressure from the ADC may be behind the repeated denials.
He said, “Let me tell you what the ADC has passed through in the last few days in respect of venue is shameful. That’s just how to put it: very shameful.
“I give you one example where I was personally involved. We were in Garki when they called that, ‘oh, there is an event center around Mabushi, and they have invited us to come and inspect the place whether it will be suitable for us’.
“I don’t know how much of Abuja, you know, but before we moved from Garki to Mabushi, a journey of about 10 to 15 minutes. When we got to the Mabushi Event Center, they made another call to say that, Oh, they were sorry.
“They had an event that will be holding, and they needed two days to plan for that event, and this one that we are asking for fell within those two days. That’s how we were denied.
“I don’t want to be listing names of event centers, hotels that the party engage on the use for the convention. And were denied.
“And to me, it’s strange, because it’s not election yet, and people who say they are in government, people who have 36 governors plus FCT Minister, people who have all the money in this world are so panicky.”
