The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Kaduna State Government of sealing Arewa House, Kaduna, ahead of his consultative meeting scheduled for Thursday.
Atiku, in a statement by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, described the action as part of a deliberate pattern to deny the opposition access to public facilities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said the ADC would not be intimidated and would continue its consultations while exploring all legal options.
“Arewa House is part of the shared heritage of the diverse peoples of Northern Nigeria. Sealing it to prevent a political consultation is an affront to their culture and dignity,” Atiku said.
“My campaign team proposed Arewa House as the venue for our consultation with stakeholders on Thursday and, today, the APC government decided to seal the building.”
According to him, the incident mirrors what happened during the party’s campaign flag-off in Sokoto.
“This is a troubling pattern. During our campaign flag-off in Sokoto, the APC government also tried to frustrate us. The people stood firm, and their will prevailed. Now, as Atiku prepares to consult stakeholders at Arewa House, the venue has been sealed,” he stated.
“We hold President Bola Tinubu and the APC politically responsible for this pattern of obstruction. An outgoing president and a ruling party should respect democratic competition, not use public authority to impede the opposition, restrict political consultation or weaken Nigerians’ right to choose.
“We will not be intimidated. We thank Nigerians across the country for their massive support, solidarity and encouragement. Your resolve strengthens ours. The ADC will continue its consultations, pursue its legal rights and take its message of a new direction to the people.”
Atiku also revealed that the Federal High Court in Abuja has released the Certified True Copy (CTC) of its judgment sacking the ADC leadership and nullifying his candidature.
He said the judgment was released on the final day of the seven-day period prescribed by the Constitution, leaving the party with limited time to react.
“Releasing a consequential judgment on the last permitted day leaves the African Democratic Congress with precious little time to study it and prepare its next legal steps,” he said.
“The ADC will study the judgment and pursue every lawful remedy available. But the timing of the release raises serious concern, especially as our party continues to face actions that obstruct its campaign and political consultations.”