ENUGU — A planned town hall meeting featuring Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi and his running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, faced disruption on Wednesday after the management of Amadeo Event Centre in Enugu withdrew the venue less than 24 hours before the scheduled event, prompting accusations of political interference and a firm denial from Governor Peter Mbah.
The NDC had booked the facility, located along Ebeano Tunnel Road, weeks in advance for the Thursday, October 29, 2026, engagement set for 2 p.m. Party officials said they paid ₦3.5 million for the hall and an additional ₦500,000 for outside space. When NDC leaders visited on Wednesday afternoon to prepare the site, they were informed the venue was no longer available.
In a widely circulated video, NDC Enugu East senatorial candidate Princess Ada Ogbu confronted venue staff, alleging the cancellation was politically motivated. “They are trying to stop Peter Obi’s town hall meeting in Enugu State for political reasons. It can never happen. We paid N3.5 million for the hall and an additional N500,000 for the outside space, but now they are trying to prevent us,” she said.
NDC officials claimed the facility’s owner, Pastor Ugo Chime, told them he was under intense pressure from the state government not to host the event. The party’s media aide to Enugu governorship candidate Sir Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa, Hon. Sampson Ukwu, described the last-minute withdrawal as “yet another attempt to disrupt the peaceful political activities of the opposition in Enugu State.” The NDC vowed the town hall would still hold and accused the administration of intimidation.
Social media posts, including one by user @felixherbt that gained significant traction, claimed Governor Mbah had deployed military and police to stop the meeting and urged the clips to go viral as evidence of injustice during the campaign season. Some Obidient accounts similarly alleged security operatives were preventing setup at the venue.
Governor Mbah rejected the allegations outright. In a statement posted on his social media accounts on Wednesday, he wrote: “My attention has just been drawn to a video circulating on some social media platforms, alleging that I gave an order denying a political party use of a private facility for their townhall event. This is preposterous and utter falsehood, because I did not.”
Mbah called the claims “shameful” and part of a “desperate pattern adopted by the opposition to attract attention.” He noted that democracy guarantees freedom of expression but does not permit defamation, adding that “there are redlines that should never be crossed” and that avenues exist for seeking redress. He emphasised that Amadeo Event Centre is a private facility.
The NDC insisted it would proceed with the engagement featuring Obi and Kwankwaso. As of Thursday morning, some supporters continued posting calls for attendance at the Amadeo venue, while the precise status of the event remained fluid amid the dispute.
The episode occurs as Nigeria’s political parties ramp up activities ahead of the 2027 general elections. Obi, the NDC flag-bearer, has been conducting town halls across the country as part of his campaign. Enugu, a South-East state under APC Governor Mbah, has seen previous political tensions involving opposition figures.
Neither the venue management nor security agencies had issued public statements clarifying the circumstances of the withdrawal or any security presence by the time of reporting. The controversy has fuelled online debate over opposition access to venues and the conduct of campaigns in the run-up to the polls.
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