The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused those in power of panic and deliberate interference, following a series of disruptions ahead of its national convention scheduled for Tuesday.

Speaking in an interview on ARISE News on Tuesday, Chairman of the Media and Publicity Sub-committee for the ADC convention, Kola Ologbodiyan, said the challenges faced by the party in securing a venue reflect growing anxiety within the political establishment.

“People who sit in government, people who have 36 governors, pro-city ministers, people who have all the money in this world, are so panicky.”

Ologbodiyan described the situation leading up to the convention as troubling, pointing to repeated last-minute setbacks in securing venues.

“What the ADC has passed through in the last few days, irrespective of venue, is shameful. I just have to put it. Very shameful.”

He recounted how arrangements with multiple event centres collapsed abruptly, including a specific incident during an inspection visit.

“When we got to the event center, they made another call. They said, oh, sorry, they had an event that will be holding, and they needed two days to plan for that event, and this one that we’re asking for fell within those two days.”

The latest development involved the Rainbow Events Center, where the party had planned to hold its convention. According to Ologbodiyan, the venue’s management withdrew permission under external pressure.

“Shortly before midnight last night, we got reports that the owner of the Rainbow Events Center came out to tell the leadership… that he has been instructed to withdraw the permission, and he doesn’t want to lose his only means of earning.”

Despite this, he said the party resolved to proceed with the convention, even if forced out of the venue.

“If this order… is enforced, and ADC is denied the right to use the Rainbow Events Center, then we can as well go on the streets and condone the convention there, because the convention belongs to the party.”

He added that the party had fulfilled all contractual obligations and would not vacate the venue without enforcement.

“Having fulfilled all contractual engagements, including payments for the use of the venue, there’s no way we can withdraw… if those who are saying that we have to leave… they should come by themselves.”

Ologbodiyan also dismissed concerns over the legality of the convention, insisting that the party had complied fully with electoral requirements.

“The expectation of the law… is that our duty stops when we issue the 21-day notice to INEC. We have done that.”

“We have issued INEC the required 21-day notice… and we’ll have our convention today.”

He maintained that no legal barrier exists to stop the exercise.

“There’s no order anywhere stopping the convention. There’s no order anyway, asking that the party must not hold its convention.”

On internal concerns within the party, including disputes arising from state congresses, Ologbodiyan said such disagreements are a normal part of party politics.

“Party is about contentions. That’s the reality.”

He insisted that the issues do not pose a significant threat to the party’s cohesion.

“All these things that are happening now, there are not too much of worries in ADC.”

Looking ahead, he acknowledged that questions around leadership and presidential ambition remain unresolved but said the party is focused on consolidation.

“What will happen thereafter lies in the future.”

“The party has not taken a decision whether they will go via consensus or whether they will go via direct primary.”

He added that the immediate priority is strengthening the opposition platform.

“What is important now is that this will allow the opposition party to build themselves… before they bring in the argument of who’s going to be the presidential candidate.”

Despite the tensions surrounding the convention, Ologbodiyan reiterated that the ADC remains determined to proceed.

“We are going ahead with the convention. ADC is the political party.” (Arise News)