Kaduna Denies Sealing Arewa House to Block Atiku’s Stakeholder Meeting

The Kaduna State Government has denied that it sealed Arewa House to prevent former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from meeting northern stakeholders on Thursday, 12 November.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign had proposed the Kaduna venue for a consultation with stakeholders from northern Nigeria.

The campaign alleged that the state government sealed the building after it was proposed and accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of trying to frustrate the meeting.

Kaduna’s Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, said the state government had no involvement in the reported closure.

He said Arewa House was a federal property administered through Ahmadu Bello University. He also said political parties could use facilities owned by the state if they followed the established procedures.

The accounts differ on who, if anyone, ordered the venue closed. The state’s response addresses its role in the dispute and leaves open whether Atiku’s campaign secured access to the building or arranged another venue for the consultation.