The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the decision of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to deny the party access to a public event centre in Abuja for the affirmation of its presidential candidate.
Atiku accused President Bola Tinubu of using state institutions to frustrate opposition parties and undermine the democratic process.
Naijaonpoint reports that the former vice president shared his reservations in a statement issued by his media office.
He described the action as a violation of constitutional rights and evidence of what he called increasing intolerance towards opposition politics under the current administration.
“The action of Minister Wike to deny the PDP the opportunity of holding an event in line with its constitutional right represents a blatant abuse of the party’s rights and an unacceptable infringement on the freedom of association and peaceful assembly as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),” the statement said.
Atiku argued that public facilities should be available to all Nigerians regardless of political affiliation and accused the FCT Administration of acting in a partisan manner.
“Private and public facilities in the Federal Capital Territory or indeed anywhere in the country exist to serve all Nigerians irrespective of their political affiliation. The Minister’s refusal to allow a legitimate political activity to hold in such a venue is not only discriminatory but also a clear demonstration of partisan interference by the Tinubu administration.
“We have seen a pattern of political interference through public institutions aimed at weakening opposition parties under the current administration. We have also seen, by the case under reference with the PDP, ditto the ADC during its national convention held in April, that the Tinubu government is literally pushing political opposition out of space,” he said.
The former presidential candidate also alleged selective enforcement of government authority, claiming that another faction of the ADC had recently held a public event in Abuja without facing similar restrictions.
“It was under the same leadership of Wike in the FCT that a sponsored faction of the ADC had a public event a few days ago, with no one threatening them.
“This sets a dangerous precedent that undermines Nigeria’s democracy, the rule of law and the integrity of our elections,” the statement added.
According to Atiku, the action reflects a broader pattern of using government institutions to create an uneven political playing field ahead of the next presidential election.
“This high-handed action is consistent with President Bola Tinubu’s emerging pattern of deploying state institutions and resources to frustrate political opposition and weaken the democratic process in the build-up to the 2027 presidential election.
“By weaponising the FCT administration against opposition parties, the Tinubu administration is revealing its intolerance for political pluralism and its determination to create an uneven playing field that favors only the ruling party and its cohorts,” he said.
