ADC Seeks N100 Million Damages from Wells Carlton Over Abrupt Coalition Launch Cancellation
Abuja, Nigeria – July 5, 2024 – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is demanding N100 million in damages from Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments following the last-minute cancellation of its planned coalition launch event. The party alleges that the hotel’s abrupt decision constituted a significant breach of contract, causing extensive inconvenience, financial losses, and embarrassment.
According to Kabiru Abdullahi, legal counsel for the ADC, a demand letter outlining the party’s claims has been sent to Wells Carlton, threatening legal action should the hotel fail to comply.
The controversy stems from an event scheduled for 2 p.m. on July 2. However, on July 1, just minutes before midnight and less than 24 hours before the event, Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments contacted the event organizers, People and Passion Consult Limited, to cancel the fully paid booking. The reason provided was an unspecified “internal compliance matter.”
“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. Giving us ‘internal compliance’ as the reason for the cancellation without any further explanation,” Mr. Abdullahi lamented in an interview with People’s Gazette. “We paid you and you 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.”
The hotel’s cancellation message, cited by Mr. Abdullahi, read: “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. We are fully aware that the event is less than 24 hours away, and we deeply apologise for the timing and inconvenience this may cause.” Mr. Abdullahi highlighted that the hotel was fully aware of the short notice yet proceeded with the cancellation.
The ADC lawyer stressed that Wells Carlton’s action unequivocally constituted a breach of contract, making the hotel liable for damages incurred by the party. He detailed that N6,063,000 had been paid to the hotel for the venue reservation, which also included the provision of refreshments for guests.
“We sent them a letter demanding refund of our money, an apology and the sum of N100 million as damages and if they don’t we will meet in court it’s as simple as that,” Abdullahi stated firmly. He explained the severe repercussions of the cancellation: “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. The venue couldn’t contain the participants, they caused us so much inconvenience and they also caused us embarrassment.”
The ADC awaits Wells Carlton’s response to its demands, with the threat of legal proceedings looming if an amicable resolution is not reached.
Efforts to reach Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments for comment on the matter were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
