​Global human rights watchdog Amnesty International has strongly condemned the Sokoto State Government for sealing the office of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), calling the action arbitrary, lawless, and a direct attempt to suppress political opposition.
​The government intervention occurred on Monday, November 2, 2026, when authorities sealed off the state office of the opposition party in Sokoto. Defending the action on behalf of the state government, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Barrister Nasiru Dantsoho, announced the closure following what he described as political disturbances involving party supporters.
Dantsoho claimed that a review of official land records indicated the property originally belonged to the defunct Savannah Bank and that no legal change of ownership had been documented.
He added that the state has written to the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) to clarify ownership status, insisting the building will remain locked under state custody to protect lives and maintain public order.
​Responding to the closure on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Amnesty International criticized the state authorities, labeling the move an act of political intimidation aimed at stifling fundamental freedoms of association and assembly. The rights group argued that using administrative mechanisms to shut down opposition premises creates a climate of fear ahead of major electoral activities.
​The sealing of the office comes directly ahead of the ADC’s scheduled presidential campaign flag-off on Tuesday, November 4, 2026, in Sokoto.
Party officials noted that the administrative action follows a string of recent hostile encounters, including an attack on a march organised by women supporters on October 28 and an ambush on party leader Dan’iya’s convoy near the local airport on October 30.
Despite the closure and escalating political tension, the leadership of the African Democratic Congress reaffirmed that its planned campaign events will proceed as scheduled.
