The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced its intention to pursue legal action against the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Asokoro, Abuja, following the abrupt cancellation of a high-profile political event scheduled to take place at the venue.
According to ADC’s legal counsel, Kabiru Abdullahi, the hotel not only failed to refund the ₦6 million already paid for the reservation but also left the party scrambling less than 24 hours before the event.
Speaking to The Peoples Gazette, Abdullahi disclosed that the party is now demanding ₦100 million in damages from the hotel for the “inconvenience and embarrassment” it caused.
DAILY GAZETTE had earlier reported that the unveiling event, which was meant to formally announce ADC as the political platform for Nigeria’s growing opposition coalition, was unexpectedly disrupted last Wednesday after the hotel abruptly withdrew its reservation agreement.
The event was set to draw notable figures from across Nigeria’s political spectrum, positioning the ADC as a unifying vehicle to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
However, on the morning of the scheduled event, organizers received a message from the hotel stating it could no longer accommodate them, citing a vague “internal compliance matter.”
A screenshot of the message, shared online by media personality and politician Dele Momodu, read:
“Dear Esteemed Patron, Thank you once again for choosing the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments.
We sincerely regret to inform you that due to an internal compliance matter that has just come to our attention, we are unable to proceed with hosting your scheduled event.”
Commenting on the short notice, Mr Abdullahi expressed frustration at the hotel’s handling of the situation.
“A guarantee was given to us on the venue’s availability, with an invoice of the payment made, but they waited until less than 24 hours before notifying us of the cancellation,” he said.
“Giving us ‘internal compliance’ as the reason for the cancellation without any further explanation. We paid you and you and gave us an invoice, then we went back to our businesses, preparing for the event, only for them to call some minutes before midnight, less than 24 hours to the event which was supposed to take place at 2 p.m. the next day stating that it’s because of internal compliance.”
He emphasized that the last-minute cancellation was not only disruptive but a breach of contract, especially considering the party had already finalized payments and logistics.
“They sent us into a frantic moment to look for alternatives to prepare for the event and had to pay extra money for refreshments for the event,” Abdullahi said.
“The venue couldn’t contain the participants, they caused us so much inconvenience and they also caused us embarrassment.”
The ADC lawyer elaborated that the party had paid ₦6,063,000 to the Wells Carlton Hotel, which included the venue reservation and catering for guests.
A formal letter has since been sent to the hotel, demanding immediate reimbursement, a public apology, and compensation for damages amounting to ₦100 million.
“We sent them a letter demanding refund of our money, an apology and the sum of ₦100 million as damages and if they don’t, we will meet in court; it’s as simple as that,” Abdullahi said.
As at the time of this report, the hotel has not publicly responded to the allegations.
