The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared that its scheduled political campaign in Sokoto State will go ahead on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, despite the sealing of its campaign council office by the state government.
​The tension escalated on Monday, November 2, 2026, when the Sokoto State Government ordered state authorities to seal off the party’s primary campaign office along Ahmadu Bello Way in the state capital. Officials cited an ongoing property ownership dispute involving the defunct Savannah Bank and security concerns as the basis for the closure.
​Responding to the closure, ADC leaders condemned the action as a deliberate attempt at political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general election cycle.
​In an official statement released on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, warned the state executive against abusing state power.
​”The Sokoto State Government must understand that governing a state does not confer ownership,” Abdullahi stated. “No governor has the power to decide which party can campaign, which candidate can speak, or which political choices the people of Sokoto are allowed to consider.”
​Corroborating the party’s position, ADC Campaign Spokesman Dahiru Maishanu confirmed that the government appeared to mistakenly assume the campaign launch was meant to take place at the sealed premises. He emphasized that the closure will not derail the event.
​Similarly, the National Youth Leader of the party, Balarabe Rufai, spoke to reporters upon arriving in the state alongside North-West Zonal Youth Leader Sabiu Yusuf and Sokoto State Youth Leader Yakubu Musa.
​”What we witnessed was more than a welcome; it was a clear declaration that no amount of intimidation can silence a generation determined to reclaim its future,” Rufai stated, adding that the ADC was not seeking permission to exercise its constitutional right to organise.
​The presidential campaign flag-off was originally scheduled for Saturday, October 31, 2026, but was moved to Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
​While party leadership maintains that a physical site has been secured for the event, spokespersons noted that the exact venue location is being withheld pending final clearance from the party’s national headquarters over security precautions.
​Spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufai, confirmed that the party formally submitted a request for security coverage and stated that the Commissioner of Police directed officers to provide protection for the event.
