Abuja Venue Row Ignites Fresh Fear of State Backed Political Intimidation Ahead of 2027
The political temperature in Abuja has risen sharply after Atiku Abubakar accused President Bola Tinubu of presiding over a growing war on opposition space, following the denial of access to a public event centre for the Peoples Democratic Party’s planned political activity.
In a blistering statement issued by the Atiku Media Office on Saturday, the former Vice President said the latest clash over venue access is not an isolated administrative dispute but part of what he described as a deliberate pattern of state backed intimidation designed to weaken the opposition before the 2027 presidential election.
According to the statement, Tinubu has become a leader determined to “have his way or destroy Nigeria’s democracy”.
The immediate flashpoint is the action of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who was said to have denied the PDP access to a public venue in Abuja for the affirmation of its presidential candidate. Atiku’s camp described the move as “reprehensible” and accused the minister of using public office to suppress lawful political activity.
‘A Blatant Abuse’ Of Constitutional Rights
The statement did not spare the FCT minister. It condemned his refusal to permit the party to use the facility as “a blatant abuse” of the PDP’s rights and “an unacceptable infringement on the freedom of association and peaceful assembly” guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution.
Atiku’s office argued that public and private facilities in the FCT should remain open to all Nigerians, regardless of party affiliation.
“The action of Minister Wike to deny the PDP the opportunity from holding an event in line with its constitutional right represents a blatant abuse of the party’s rights,” the statement said.
It added that the refusal to allow the event to hold in the venue was “not only discriminatory” but also evidence of “partisan interference” by the Tinubu administration.
Opposition Claims Of A Wider Crackdown
What might have looked like an ordinary dispute over access to a venue has now been elevated into a national political warning.
Atiku’s statement accused the ruling establishment of deploying public institutions to frustrate opposition parties and reshape the democratic field in favour of the government. It said Nigeria is witnessing “a pattern of political interference through public institutions aimed at weakening opposition parties under the current administration.”
The statement also claimed that the PDP is not the only victim, alleging that similar pressure had been mounted against the ADC.
“We have also seen, by the case under reference with the PDP, ditto the ADC during its national convention held in April, that the Tinubu government is literally pushing political opposition out of space,” the statement declared.
That line of attack is clearly designed to link the Abuja venue row to a bigger political narrative, one in which the opposition is being squeezed from all sides as the 2027 contest draws nearer.
‘A Dangerous Precedent’
Atiku’s camp warned that the incident sets a troubling precedent for Nigeria’s democracy.
“This sets a dangerous precedent that undermines Nigeria’s democracy, the rule of law and the integrity of our elections,” the statement said.
The former Vice President, through his media office, framed the matter as an assault on democratic pluralism rather than a mere conflict between a minister and a political party.
“It was under the same leadership of Wike in the FCT that a sponsored faction of the ADC had a public event a few days ago with no one threatening them,” the statement noted, suggesting selective enforcement and political bias in the use of state power.
Tinubu Accused Of Weaponising State Institutions
The most explosive part of the statement is its direct accusation that President Tinubu is using state machinery to corner the political terrain before the next election.
“This high handed action is consistent with President Bola Tinubu’s emerging pattern of deploying state institutions and resources to frustrate political opposition and weaken the democratic process in the build up to the 2027 presidential election,” it said.
The statement added that by “weaponizing the FCT administration against opposition parties”, the Tinubu government is exposing what it called “intolerance for political pluralism” and a drive to create “an uneven playing field” for the ruling party and its allies.
That accusation lands in a political environment already strained by factional disputes, legal tension, and fierce manoeuvring inside and outside the major parties.
‘Tinubu Government Is Afraid Of Free And Fair Elections’
Atiku’s office then widened the attack further, casting the presidency as hostile to open competition.
“The Tinubu government is afraid of free and fair elections and their tactics to suppress the opposition will not succeed,” the statement said.
It described the former Vice President as “a firm believer in democratic values” and said he sees the venue row as part of a broader strategy “to stifle dissent and rig the political environment in favour of the ruling party.”
The statement ended with a direct appeal to the minister of the FCT to reverse what it called an unconstitutional action and allow all opposition parties access to public and private facilities for legitimate political activity.
“We equally urge all democratic stakeholders, civil society organizations, and well meaning Nigerians to rise against this creeping authoritarianism before it further erodes the foundations of our republic,” it said.
Bigger Than One Venue, Bigger Than One Party
What is now unfolding in Abuja is no longer just a matter of party logistics. It is a battle over political space, democratic rights, and the use of federal power in the heat of succession politics.
For the opposition, the issue is simple: if a ruling administration can allow or deny access to public space based on political loyalty, then the road to 2027 may already be tilted.
For the Tinubu camp, the dispute is likely to be defended as an administrative or security matter, not a democratic crackdown.
But in a country where political mistrust runs deep and state institutions are often accused of partisan use, the optics of this clash are damaging. It feeds the growing suspicion that the contest for 2027 may be fought not only at the ballot box, but in the corridors of power, the control rooms of agencies, and the locked gates of public venues.
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