The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, threatened to shut down the premises of A Class Event Centre in Abuja if the venue hosts the party’s planned presidential candidate ratification ceremony for former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement issued on Friday by the party’s Interim National Working Committee, the PDP said it had been informed by the proprietors of the event centre that pressure was being mounted on them to deny the opposition party access to the facility.

The statement, signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, maintained that the party had fully paid for the venue and complied with all necessary requirements ahead of the event.

According to the PDP, relevant security agencies had also been duly notified about the planned convention scheduled for Saturday, May 30, 2026, at A Class Event Centre, Wuse 2, Abuja.

The party said its lawyers had been directed to formally remind the management of the event centre of the existing contractual agreement between both parties.

The PDP insisted that the special convention to ratify the presidential candidature of former President Goodluck Jonathan would proceed as planned despite the alleged intimidation.

“We are certain that Nigeria is a country governed by law, and any attempt to use force to suppress political dissent and opposition is an aberration which must be resisted by all people of good conscience,” the statement read.

The opposition party further argued that the FCT Minister has no constitutional powers to determine which political events can be held in the territory or the venues where such events should take place.

It described any attempt to stop the gathering as undemocratic and warned against what it called efforts to stifle opposition voices in the country.

The PDP also called on party leaders, National Executive Committee members, and stakeholders from across the states to attend the convention as scheduled.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had earlier directed owners of hotels, event centres and other public facilities in Abuja to deal only with leaderships of political parties recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The administration also warned that any property used for gatherings of what it described as illegal organisations risks losing its title documents.

The directive was contained in a statement issued on Friday by Lere Olayinka, senior special assistant on public communications and social media to Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the statement, the measure forms part of efforts to strengthen security across the nation’s capital and prevent the use of public facilities for activities capable of disrupting public peace.

“In view of the need to further ensure the security of lives and properties in the FCT and sustain the efforts of security agencies in this regard, usage of Event Centres, Hotels and other public buildings will now be closely monitored,” the statement reads.

“This is aimed at ensuring that they are not used by illegal organizations for gatherings capable of disrupting the peace of the nation’s capital.”

The FCTA said land allocations within the territory are strictly meant for lawful activities, warning that sanctions would be imposed on facility owners who fail to comply with the new directive.

The administration specifically cautioned operators of hotels and event centres to verify the legality of groups seeking to use their premises, particularly during the ongoing political season.

“For instance, in this political season, owners of Event Centres and Hotels in particular must ensure that they only deal with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised leadership of political parties in respect of the use of their facilities, and proper records of transactions must be kept,” the statement added.

The FCTA stressed that non-compliance could attract severe consequences, including revocation of property titles.

Jonathan is being backed by a faction of PDP that is struggling for the control of the former ruling party with another faction backed by Wike. (Daily Trust, but headline reworked)

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