Coalition leaders, Atiku, Mark, others arrive new venue for unveiling after being denied use of Abuja hotel

Atiku Abubakar; a former Vice President (VP), Peter Obi the presidential candidate of the  Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Nasir El-Rufai ; the former governor of Kaduna state and many key figures of the coalition have arrived the Yar’Adua centre in Abuja for the official launch of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the platform for their political movement.

Also present at the event are Rotimi Amaechi; a former governor of Rivers state, David Mark, a former senate president  and former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola, who were recently named interim national chairman and national secretary of the ADC, respectively.

The coalition led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) had earlier announced a new venue for the formal launch of its political platform, following a last-minute cancellation by its original venue, Wells Carlton Hotel, Abuja.

Nkem Ukandu, the ADC’s deputy national secretary, stated that the event will now be held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Wednesday, July 2 in the afternoon.

This change was made just hours after Wells Carlton Hotel pulled out of hosting the event, citing an unspecified ‘internal compliance issue.’

The hotel released a statement that was shared by media personality and politician Dele Momodu.

The statement read, “Dear Esteemed Patron, Thank you once again for choosing the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments.

“We sincerely regret to inform you that due to an internal compliance matter that has just come to our attention, we are unable to proceed with hosting your scheduled event.

“We are fully aware that the event is less than 24 hours away, and we deeply apologise for the timing and inconvenience this may cause.”

The abrupt cancellation sparked criticism from opposition figures, with several accusing the APC-led administration of interfering in the process for political reasons.

The ADC is emerging as the proposed platform for a new opposition alliance ahead of the 2027 elections enjoying support from key political figures including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, former Senate President David Mark, and former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola and the former of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai.