From Umar Danladi Ado, Sokoto
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said it will hold the Sokoto State Government and the State Police Command responsible for any breach of peace arising from the flag-off of its 2027 presidential campaign in Sokoto on Wednesday.
The Council called on the Inspector-General of Police to direct the immediate unsealing of its state campaign office and remind the Sokoto State Police Command that its duty under the law is to protect all political parties equally, rather than serve the interests of one.
This was contained in a press statement issued on Tuesday night and signed by the Council’s Deputy Director-General, Administration, Yusuf Suleiman (Dan Amar Sokoto).
The Atiku Abubakar ADC 2027 Presidential Campaign Council also condemned the sealing of the party’s Sokoto State campaign office, describing the action as illegal, unconstitutional, reckless and the latest in what it called a pattern of lawlessness in the state.
“The truth is plain. The Sokoto State Government is alarmed by the growing, organic support for the ADC and its candidates across the state, and it has chosen to answer that support with force instead of argument,” the Council declared.
The Council said it rejected the action in its entirety and would pursue every legitimate and lawful remedy available to reopen the office and protect its members, supporters and property in Sokoto.
It added that it would hold the Sokoto State Government and the Police Command responsible for any breach of peace that might follow.
The Council also called on well-meaning Nigerians, civil society organisations, election observers and the international community to condemn the action and demand explanations.
According to the statement, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, officers of the Sokoto State Police Command, acting on the orders of the state government, sealed the ADC State Campaign Office located on Ahmadu Bello Way, Sokoto.
The Council alleged that no court order was presented, no notice was served and no lawful reason was given for the action.
It described the sealing as a trespass on private premises and a direct assault on the constitutional right of a registered political party to organise, assemble and campaign, which it said was also protected by Section 95 of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The Council dismissed the state government’s ownership claim as not credible, insisting that the ADC had operated openly from the premises for more than eight years.
It argued that a government genuinely interested in establishing ownership or taking possession of a building should formally write to the occupants rather than deploy armed officers to lock the premises of its political opponents on the eve of a campaign.
The statement noted that the sealing came barely four days after an attack on the party’s governorship candidate, His Excellency, Manir Muhammad Dan’Iya, at the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto.
It further urged Nigeria’s international partners, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy and the Commonwealth, to take note of what it described as actions undermining democratic processes and governance in Sokoto State.
The Council also called for the application of visa restrictions against individuals found to be subverting democracy.
“Democracy in Sokoto will not be locked away. The people of Sokoto will be heard,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Sokoto State Government had earlier announced the sealing of the premises occupied by the ADC over a dispute concerning ownership of the property.
According to the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, a review of the Certificate of Occupancy and other relevant documents showed that the property originally belonged to the defunct Savannah Bank, with no official record indicating that ownership had been transferred to another individual or organisation.
“Following a review of the Certificate of Occupancy and other relevant documents, we discovered that this property belongs to Savannah Bank, and that ownership has not changed as of today,” he said.
He disclosed that the state government had formally written to the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), which is the custodian of the property, seeking clarification on its current ownership, but had yet to receive a response.
The commissioner said the premises would remain sealed and under the control of the state government until the dispute was resolved.
He urged anyone claiming ownership to submit verifiable documents to the ministry for verification and proper documentation, warning that anyone attempting to forcefully gain access to the premises would face the full weight of the law.
