The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced that it will hold its presidential campaign kick-off in Sokoto State on November 4. The party's decision to proceed with the campaign comes despite allegations of threats, attacks on its members, and attempts by the state government to frustrate the event. According to the party, the state government had opposed the initial plan to hold the campaign flag-off on October 31 and mounted pressure on hotel operators to cancel reservations made for delegates and supporters.
The Director-General of the ADC governorship campaign in Sokoto State, Bello Goronyo, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the party's secretariat in Sokoto. Goronyo alleged that some government-owned hotels declined to accommodate the party's guests, while private hotel operators were threatened with demolition if they failed to withdraw their bookings. He described the alleged development as an attempt to restrict opposition activities and undermine political pluralism in the state.
Goronyo also accused government-linked security outfits of involvement in a series of attacks on party members, including an alleged incident involving the party's governorship candidate, Manir Dan'iya, at the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport on October 30. According to him, the candidate's vehicles were smashed, and gunshots were reportedly fired during the incident, while two Department of State Services personnel attached to his security detail were detained.
The party further alleged that personnel of the Sokoto Marshals and Sokoto Community Guards had been instructed to prevent its supporters from entering the state ahead of the campaign. Goronyo demanded an investigation by the police and the DSS to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify those responsible. He also called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the DSS to investigate the alleged attacks and intimidation of hotel operators.
However, the Sokoto State Government has denied allegations that it directed hotels to reject ADC delegates. The state chapter of the All Progressives Congress also maintained that hotel reservations were made to accommodate dignitaries expected to attend a traditional title ceremony. A chieftain of the ADC, Timothy Osadolor, had earlier said the party would retain Sokoto as the venue for the kick-off of its presidential campaign despite postponing the event initially scheduled for October 31.
Osadolor blamed the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government and the Sokoto State Government for the circumstances surrounding the postponement, accusing them of attempting to frustrate the opposition party's political activities. He expressed confidence that Nigerians had resolved to elect the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as president in 2027. The party's decision to choose Sokoto as the venue for the campaign kick-off was deliberate, given the state's political significance and the party's desire to make a strong statement in the North-West.
Efforts to confirm the official position of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council on the new date yielded little, as its Director, Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, promised to "check and revert" when our correspondent reached out to him. As of the time of filing this report, Ologbondiyan had yet to reach out as promised. The ADC's decision to proceed with the campaign despite alleged obstacles demonstrates its determination to exercise its constitutional rights.
Key points
- The African Democratic Congress has rescheduled its presidential campaign kick-off in Sokoto State to November 4.
- The party alleges that the state government has been attempting to frustrate the event through intimidation and threats.
- The ADC has called for an investigation into the alleged attacks on its members and intimidation of hotel operators.
