The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has threatened legal action against the prestigious Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Asokoro, Abuja, demanding a whopping ₦100 million in damages after the hotel abruptly cancelled a major coalition unveiling event just hours before its commencement.
In a strongly worded statement issued by the party’s legal counsel, Barrister Kabiru Abdullahi, the ADC accused the hotel of breaching a formal agreement and causing “immense embarrassment and logistical chaos” to the party and its stakeholders.
According to Abdullahi, the party had paid a total of ₦6,063,000 to the luxury hotel to reserve the venue and cater for the event, which was scheduled to mark a historic political milestone: the official presentation of the ADC as the platform for Nigeria’s emerging opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The cancellation was not only abrupt but strategically damaging. We were given full assurance of venue availability, complete with invoice and confirmation. Yet, just hours before the event, we were informed that it had been cancelled due to an obscure ‘internal compliance matter’,” Abdullahi stated.
The political gathering was billed to attract several heavyweight politicians from across party lines and was widely anticipated as a significant step towards galvanizing public momentum against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The shocking cancellation came via a curt message from the hotel, shared by opposition figure and media mogul Dele Momodu on Instagram. The message 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.”
Abdullahi criticized the hotel’s last-minute notice, describing it as a deliberate sabotage of a nationally significant political programme. “They had every detail about the event. Yet, they waited until minutes before midnight—less than 24 hours to go—before pulling the plug on us,” he lamented.
He further revealed that the cancellation forced the ADC into a last-minute scramble to secure an alternative venue and make fresh payments for catering, seating arrangements, and logistics — all under intense pressure.
“This is a clear breach of contract. We have officially demanded a refund of our money, a public apology, and an additional ₦100 million in damages. If they fail to comply, we are fully prepared to meet them in court,” Abdullahi warned.
He emphasized that the disruption not only caused financial losses but also damaged the party’s reputation. “The venue we hurriedly secured could not contain the crowd that turned up. Many were left standing. The entire episode was a mess caused by Wells Carlton’s negligence,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments has yet to issue a formal response to the accusations or the legal threat.
Political analysts have described the move as a possible deliberate political interference, with some suggesting the hotel may have been pressured to cancel the event due to the increasing momentum of the opposition coalition.
The ADC’s demand and threat of legal redress signal a growing intolerance among opposition parties for perceived state-sponsored suppression and political intimidation in the run-up to the 2027 elections.
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