Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Kaduna State Government of frustrating his planned consultation with Northern stakeholders after Arewa House, Kaduna, was allegedly sealed ahead of the meeting.

Atiku, who is seeking the presidency in 2027 on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the allegation in a statement issued on Wednesday, November 11, by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.

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The opposition candidate said his team had selected Arewa House as the venue for the Thursday consultation but alleged that the facility was closed by the state government before the meeting could take place.

He described the development as part of what he called a pattern of attempts to obstruct opposition activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Arewa House is part of the shared heritage of the diverse peoples of Northern Nigeria. Sealing it to prevent a political consultation is an affront to their culture and dignity,” Atiku said.

He also recalled the ADC’s campaign flag-off in Sokoto, alleging that the APC-led government in the state had attempted to frustrate the event.

Atiku said the opposition party would not be intimidated, adding that it would continue its consultations, pursue its legal rights and communicate its political agenda to Nigerians.

“We hold President Bola Tinubu and the APC politically responsible for this pattern of obstruction.

An outgoing president and a ruling party should respect democratic competition, not use public authority to impede the opposition, restrict political consultation or weaken Nigerians’ right to choose,” he said.

However, the Kaduna State Government rejected the allegation. The state’s Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, described the claim as untrue and said the government had no involvement in the alleged closure.

Maiyaki also clarified that Arewa House was not owned by the Kaduna State Government but belonged to the Federal Government through Ahmadu Bello University (ABU).

He insisted that the state government had no involvement in Atiku’s planned political engagement and said Kaduna remained open to opposition activities conducted in accordance with applicable rules.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) also clarified that Arewa House was an institution of ABU and independent of the forum.

Its National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Mohammed-Baba, said he was unaware of any invitation for a political candidate to meet the ACF.

The clarification followed a separate allegation by an ADC campaign spokesperson that security operatives had sealed the ACF secretariat.

The forum, however, said it had reported an alleged break-in at its headquarters to security agencies.

Beyond the dispute over the meeting venue, Atiku also raised concerns over the release of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of a Federal High Court judgment affecting the ADC’s leadership.

The party confirmed that it received the authenticated copy of the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu on Wednesday, November 11, the final day of the seven-day period prescribed under Section 294(1) of the 1999 Constitution for courts to furnish parties with authenticated copies of their decisions.

Atiku said the timing left the party with limited time to examine the ruling and determine its next legal steps.

“The ADC will study the judgment and pursue every lawful remedy available. But the timing of the release raises serious concern, especially as our party continues to face actions that obstruct its campaign and political consultations,” the statement said.

The judgment, delivered on November 5, invalidated the emergence of the David Mark-led National Working Committee and decisions taken by the disputed leadership, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.

The court also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise Nafiu Bala Gombe as the only elected member of the ADC’s National Working Committee whose tenure remained valid.

The ruling has generated disagreement within the party. While the ADC has rejected the judgment and indicated that it will challenge it, a party lawyer, Kalu Kalu, argued that the decision did not expressly invalidate Atiku’s presidential candidacy.

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The dispute over the court ruling and the alleged closure of Arewa House comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections. For the ADC, the immediate challenges involve resolving its leadership dispute, clarifying the status of its presidential nomination and securing venues for its political engagements.