Accreditation has begun at the Rainbow Event Centre in Garki, Abuja, where the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is holding its national convention. Delegates are coming from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
As accreditation teams started checking attendees ahead of the party’s main internal political meeting, security personnel set up strict checks at the entrance to the venue.
Party officials said that the convention will have at least 3,000 delegates and that its purpose is to finish up the congress proceedings, approve a new constitution, and be ready for future elections.
Chinedu Idigo, the party’s National Organizing Secretary, spoke at the event and noted that delegate distribution was set up to make sure that all states were fairly represented based on their size and party structure.
Idigo, on the other hand, said that the party had trouble finding a place for the convention because they kept getting turned down and proprietors of the facilities were under pressure from outside sources.
He stated that proposals to use big public places like Eagle Square and the Velodrome at the National Stadium were turned down without reason, so the party had to settle with a private event center.
He said that even after getting the Rainbow Event Centre, there were reports of attempts to force the cancellation of the booking, which he said was bad for democratic participation.
Idigo also spoke out against what he called the intimidation of private business owners, saying that this kind of involvement hurts political freedom and fair competition in the democratic process.
The party claimed that the convention is going on with the theme “So the Nation May Work,” and delegates are hopeful about how it will turn out.
The convention is likely to be very important in changing the party’s internal structure and positions before the next national elections.
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