The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has postponed the flag-off of its presidential campaign in Sokoto State from Saturday, 31 October, to Wednesday, 4 November 2026, citing planning and coordination considerations.
A party chieftain, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, disclosed the change to our correspondent on Wednesday.
When contacted, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that the event would no longer hold on Saturday but said the new date required confirmation.
“It’s definitely not Saturday. But the new date needs to be confirmed definitely,” he said in a WhatsApp message.
The ADC Presidential Campaign Council in Sokoto State also announced the postponement in a statement, explaining that additional planning and coordination were needed to ensure the successful conduct of the event.
“The decision follows the need to address certain planning and coordination considerations to ensure the successful conduct of the event,” the statement read.
The council apologised to party leaders, stakeholders, supporters and members of the public for any inconvenience caused by the change, urging them to take note of the revised date.
The postponement comes amid allegations by the ADC that the Sokoto State Government directed hotels in the state capital to deny accommodation to delegates expected to attend the campaign flag-off.
The party alleged that some delegates who had booked accommodation and checked into hotels were subsequently asked to leave. The state government has denied directing hotels to reject ADC delegates.
The ADC also accused suspected supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attacking its members during a rally involving about 5,000 women and young people in Sokoto.
An APC chieftain dismissed the allegation, insisting that the ruling party was not responsible for the reported incident.
The ADC presidential campaign spokesperson, Dahiru Maishanu, alleged that several hotels in Sokoto had told prospective guests that their rooms were fully booked until Sunday, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the reported restrictions.
He further claimed that some delegates who had already secured accommodation and checked in were being asked to vacate their rooms.
Maishanu described the alleged restrictions as an attempt to frustrate the party’s activities and prevent supporters travelling from different parts of the country from attending the campaign event.
“This action smacks of executive rascality and unwarranted partisanship by the state government and its agents,” he said.
He questioned why the government would allegedly interfere with the operations of privately owned hotels and prevent guests from using accommodation they had booked.
“It is irresponsible for the state government to allegedly direct both public and privately owned hotels to deny accommodation to people who are willing to pay for their rooms,” he added.
The state government, however, denied issuing any directive to hotels to reject ADC delegates, while the APC also rejected the allegation that its supporters attacked opposition members.
The campaign flag-off is expected to attract the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar; its vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi; former Sokoto State governor and senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Tambuwal; and other national and state party leaders.
The postponement comes as political parties intensify preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the ADC seeking to mobilise supporters and strengthen its presence in Sokoto State.
