The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has confirmed that its presidential campaign flag-off will take place in Sokoto State on November 4, 2026, vowing to resist any attack on candidates, party members and offices.
The party said no threat, intimidation or unlawful obstruction would prevent it from exercising its constitutional right to organise political activities and campaign for its candidates in the state.
The crisis between the political parties started when the ADC accused suspected All Progressives Congress, APC thugs of attacking women participating in the party’s rally, alleging that some sustained injuries while others had their mobile phones snatched. 
There were also allegations that the APC-led state government had booked all available hotel rooms across the state to prevent the ADC from hosting its presidential campaign flag-off.
The party also accused operatives of the Sokoto Marshall and Community Guards of attacking its governorship candidate, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, while returning from the airport after accompanying Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
The ADC alleged that the attack resulted in the destruction of the windscreen of one of the vehicles in his convoy.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the Governorship Campaign Council, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, on Sunday during a press conference at the party’s secretariat in Sokoto called on relevant authorities to investigate reported attacks on the party’s governorship candidate, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, members of its women wing and the party’s office, and ensure that those responsible are brought to book.
He also urged security operatives to remain professional and apolitical in the discharge of their duties, stressing the need to provide a peaceful and secure environment for all political parties to conduct their activities.
“The ADC’s presidential campaign flag-off, now scheduled for November 4, 2026, will proceed. No threat, intimidation or unlawful obstruction will deprive the party of its constitutional right to organise political activities and campaign for its candidates,” he said.
The party called on its supporters across the country to remain calm, peaceful, disciplined and law-abiding, assuring that it would not be provoked, promising that the party would continue to pursue accountability through lawful means.
The press conference was attended by ADC’s governorship candidate, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, his running mate, Bello Isa Ambarura, and other party chieftains.
Earlier, the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state had dismissed the allegations of intimidation, describing them as fabricated claims intended to attract public sympathy and divert attention from the ADC’s political challenges.
The state APC Chairman, Alhaji Haruna Adiya, said the allegations were part of what he described as a propaganda campaign against the state government.
He also faulted what he described as inconsistencies in the ADC’s account of the incident, arguing that while the party’s media aide reportedly claimed that security personnel prevented Dan’iya from entering Sokoto metropolis, the candidate’s statement indicated that he had visited different locations in the city to pay condolence visits and attend to other engagements.
The APC chairman also dismissed claims that security personnel were deployed to restrict ADC members from entering the state, explaining that Sokoto was preparing to host a major traditional title conferment ceremony scheduled for Sunday.
He said the event was expected to attract prominent personalities and visitors from different parts of the country, making adequate security arrangements necessary.
Adiya maintained that the deployment of security personnel was aimed at protecting residents and visitors attending the ceremony and had nothing to do with the political activities of the ADC.
He further urged the opposition party to address its internal challenges rather than blame the APC and the state government for its political difficulties.
He urged the opposition party to substantiate its allegations and focus on presenting policies and development plans to the electorate rather than engaging in what he described as manufactured controversies.
