Members of various opposition political parties in Nigeria have expressed grievances regarding a supposed intentional effort to suppress their voices after they were denied the use of a hotel venue reserved for a press conference.
The purpose of the press conference was to discuss the recent assaults on notable opposition figures such as Peter Obi and John Odigie-Oyegun in Benin, Edo State, alongside issues like the arrest and ongoing detention of prominent opposition members, including former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai and ex- Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami.
Following the distribution of invitations for the event, it was reported that when opposition leaders arrived at the hotel to make payments, the management refused to accept their booking, thus denying them the facility.
Reliable sources indicated that at the time of this report, the opposition leaders were actively searching for alternative venues but had not yet secured one.
In response to this incident, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stated that the ruling party is attempting to eliminate opposition voices. He confirmed that they were indeed denied access to the hotel and accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of wanting all other parties to support their candidates.
“It is correct that the hotel rejected the request to use their facility,” Abdullahi stated, adding, “This is part of the repression that this government is instilling as a norm.”
He continued, “The intent of this government is clear: to eradicate any form of opposition. This mirrors the civilian approach to the tactics used by the late Sani Abacha, who formed five political parties that solely supported him.”
Abdullahi asserted that the APC is becoming increasingly oppressive, but assured that they are exploring other options for their venue.
Daily Trust recalls a similar occurrence from last year, when a group was barred from staging a play promoting the positive attributes of former President Goodluck Jonathan while he was being urged to contest in the 2027 presidential elections. Attendees who had paid to watch the play were told it would be replaced by another event under pressure not to proceed.
The organizers of the recent press conference declined to comment, citing ongoing efforts to resolve the situation.
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