The frontline opposition parties – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC) will today get a glimpse of their fates as the Supreme Court sits on appeals brought before it by Kabiru Turaki and David Mark-led National Working Committees against the rulings of the Court of Appeal, Abuja division.
This is just as the embattled ADC has resolved to go ahead with its planned National Convention today amid a blame game with the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over the venue for the exercise, where at least 3,000 delegates will be attending.
According to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the FCT management frustrated its efforts to secure the use of Eagle Square, which serves as a traditional venue for such high-profile events.
He added that even when they sought the use of Moshood Abiola National Stadium Velodrome as a fallback, the party also met a brick wall, adding that despite hiccups over venue, the party has resolved that the convention must hold at the Rainbow Events Centre.
While decrying the Federal Government’s actions as an obvious assault on democracy, the ADC publicity scribe expressed relief that the ward, Local Government and State congresses were held successfully. He condemned the apparent attempt to foist a one-party rule in Nigeria, remarking that even though we are an opposition political party, the Eagle Square does not belong to the APC.
“Generations of political parties have used the venue until President Bola Tinubu converts it to a property of the ruling party,” he stated.
WITH attention on the Federal Capital Territory, a faction of ADC in Adamawa State, home state of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has suspended the Waziri Adamawa, compounding the party’s woes.
Chairman of the ADC faction in the state, Raji Sulaiman Zumo, announced the suspension on Monday evening. Also suspended was the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal.
Recall that a faction of the ADC led by Nafiu Bala Gombe is laying claim to the position of national chairman of the party. The development prompted the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to derecognise the leadership of the ADC under former Senate President David Mark.