BREAKING: Tinubu Characterized ADC Convention As A Noise And Street Convention — ADC Respond In Press Conference

Former member of the House of Representatives and ex-Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, has criticized remarks attributed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding the African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Convention.

Ukeje, a member of the African Democratic Congress, spoke during a press conference aired by Arise Television on Tuesday, April 21, 2025, in Abuja.

Addressing journalists and stakeholders, she framed the moment as critical to Nigeria’s democratic future. “Dear compatriots, members of the press, distinguished stakeholders, and friends of Nigeria across the world. We find it today, at a moment of profound national significance,” she said.

She warned that key democratic structures are under strain. “The survival of our democracy, the integrity of our institutions, and the future of multi-party governance in Nigeria are tested in ways that demand vigilance, courage, clarity, and collective sacrifice,” Ukeje stated.

Ukeje referenced recent comments made by the President while hosting a political support group. She noted that the ADC National Convention was described as “a noise and a street convention.”

She said the party considered it necessary to respond with context and historical perspective. “We consider it not only necessary to respond, but to do so with historical clarity,” she added.

Drawing comparisons with Tinubu’s political past, Ukeje recalled his role as an opposition figure. “Time was, in our contemporary history, when the language of resistance, dissent, and alternative political organisation defined the very political identity of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as he then was,” she said.

She emphasized that Tinubu once advocated for pluralism and institutional independence. “As an opposition leader, he campaigned and complained against the dangers of one-party dominance, mobilised against it, defended pluralism, and he relied on an independent judiciary as a shield against executive overreach,” Ukeje stated.

According to her, those principles should remain central in governance. “He stood for democratic contestation as the essence of a thriving democracy,” she added.

Ukeje expressed concern over what she described as a shift in the political environment. “It is therefore deeply troubling that the same democratic space that once enabled his rise now appears to be narrowing under his watch,” she said.

She called on the President to align his actions with past positions. “We respectfully call on Mr. President to practice in governance the very principles he once advocated and championed while he was in the opposition,” she stated.

Ukeje urged the protection of democratic values. “Which were to protect dissent, uphold judicial independence, and to allow genuine democratic contestation to flourish,” she added.

Addressing the controversy surrounding the ADC convention, she acknowledged logistical challenges. “On the issue at hand, we acknowledge without hesitation that the ADC party was faced with constraints in accessing a venue for its convention,” she said.

She defended the nature of the gathering despite criticism. “What is described dismissively by Mr. President as a street event was in fact democracy in its most authentic and organic form,” Ukeje stated.

She concluded by highlighting public participation. “Close to the people, held by the people, and celebrated by the Nigerian people and all lovers of liberty across the world,” she said.