ADC Accuses Sokoto Govt Of Booking Hotels To Frustrate Campaign Flag-Off, APC Group Faults Claim

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Sokoto State Government of instructing hotels in Sokoto to deny accommodation to its delegates ahead of its presidential campaign flag-off scheduled for Saturday. The party alleged that both government-owned and privately-owned hotels in the town had been booked, with delegates told that there were no rooms available from Tuesday through Sunday, in a move allegedly aimed at frustrating the event. The Presidential Campaign Spokesperson, Dahiru Maishanu, made the allegation in a statement issued on Wednesday in Sokoto, describing the action as unbecoming and irresponsible. Maishanu said it was condemnable for the state government to instruct hotels to deny paying citizens the right to stay in their hotels, and equally condemnable to evict customers who had already paid and were currently staying. He said the state government’s action smacked of executive rascality and unwarranted partisanship by the state government and its agents. He insisted that no amount of intimidation and harassment would deter party members from attending the flag-off from all over the country, assuring Nigerians that the flag-off would take place on schedule, with the presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the State Party leader, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and other party leaders and members in attendance. However, the APC Youth Vanguards have condemned what they described as a misleading attempt by Maishanu to portray the Sokoto State Government as an obstacle to the party’s political activities. In a statement signed by its Secretary, Abdurrasheed Yaqub, the group described the allegation as politically motivated, insisting that the circumstances surrounding the incident must be properly examined before the state government is accused of interfering with the activities of an opposition party. The group said it was unfortunate that an allegation of such magnitude could be circulated without adequately considering the wider circumstances, particularly the major traditional ceremony scheduled to take place in Sokoto on Sunday, November 1, 2026. It noted that several traditional titleholders appointed by His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, are expected to be turbaned during the ceremony, which is likely to attract traditional rulers, prominent personalities, family members, associates and well-wishers from different parts of Nigeria, thereby increasing demand for hotel rooms. The group argued that the increased demand for hotel accommodation could therefore be connected to the forthcoming traditional event, stressing that hotel bookings should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a political conspiracy against the ADC. “How can a state government known for prudence and transparency in the management of public resources deliberately spend taxpayers’ money on hotel accommodation simply to frustrate an opposition political party? Such a claim requires credible evidence, not political insinuations,” the statement said. The APC Youth Vanguards further questioned why the ADC’s allegation appeared to disregard the political activities of other opposition figures, recalling that the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, his running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and their supporters were recently in Sokoto for several days for political activities without being denied accommodation. It added that ADC supporters in Sokoto had also been holding their political meetings, rallies and other activities in public places without being stopped by the state government, adding that if Governor Ahmed Aliyu and the APC-led government were determined to frustrate opposition activities, such activities would not have been possible. The group maintained that Governor Aliyu’s administration had no reason to resort to such alleged tactics, insisting that political competition should be determined by ideas, policies, programmes and the confidence of the electorate, and urged the ADC to focus on presenting its agenda, while calling on media organisations to uphold verification, fairness and balanced reporting. As at the time of filing this report, efforts to get the reaction of the Sokoto State Government to the allegation were yet to yield result. The ADC flag-off, scheduled for Saturday, October 31, 2026, is expected to formally kick-start Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaign for the 2027 general election in Sokoto has been postponed due to inadequate accommodation for those coming from far.