A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi, has insisted that the party’s convention will proceed despite warnings from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and internal party disputes.
Obi made the declaration during an appearance on Arise Television on Monday night.
He confirmed that the ADC convention would take place in Abuja as scheduled.
The former presidential candidate alleged that the party had been denied access to major venues, including Eagle Square and the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
“Definitely. It will hold tomorrow (Tuesday). In Abuja here. It’s going to happen in Abuja. And I’m sure ARISE will cover it. It will definitely hold.
“That shows you the integrity of our democracy. If you’re denied simple things like venues and everything, it shows where the country is drifting to. When we have freedom of association, everything enshrined in our constitution, and yet a party that is supposed to be the main opposition party cannot be allowed to exist.
“The government doesn’t want other parties to exist. They’re not playing by the rules,” he alleged.
Responding to questions about the venue denials, Obi said he did not know the exact reasons given for rejecting the party’s requests. However, he stressed that unless the party in power allows institutions to operate independently, such challenges could persist for the ADC.
“I don’t know, just like you. I don’t know, but I believe that unless the party in power decides to support our institutions to be able to play their part, we’ll continue having such problems,” he noted.
