Nigeria’s opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the country’s domestic intelligence agency of orchestrating efforts to disrupt a campaign rally in northwestern Sokoto State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the ADC’s presidential candidate, alleged on Tuesday that the State Security Service (SSS), also known as the Department of State Services (DSS), was mobilising groups of protesters to provoke unrest ahead of Wednesday’s rally.
Abubakar claimed that protesters were gathering at an office behind Zenith Bank on Koko Road in Sokoto before being transported by trucks to strategic locations across the city.
He alleged that some groups had already begun blocking roads, intimidating motorists and attacking residents.
According to Abubakar, the alleged operation was intended to create a security crisis that could provide the Sokoto State Government with grounds to impose a curfew and prevent the opposition rally from taking place.
He called on security agencies to maintain political neutrality and safeguard the constitutional rights of opposition parties to organise and campaign freely.
Sokoto State Police Command spokesperson Ahmad Rufai told Anadolu that police would take measures to prevent violence during the rally.
However, Rufai declined to address questions concerning an earlier alleged attack on the ADC’s governorship candidate or concerns about the safety of opposition politicians in the state.
Tensions rise ahead of elections
The accusations follow an October 30 confrontation involving the convoy of ADC governorship candidate Manir Muhammad Dan’iya near Sultan Abubakar III International Airport in Sokoto.
Dan’iya alleged that members of the Sokoto Marshal and the state Community Guard Corps intercepted his convoy, fired gunshots and damaged one of his vehicles.
The incident came amid growing tensions between the opposition party and state authorities.
Days earlier, the Sokoto State Government sealed an ADC campaign office on Ahmadu Bello Way, shortly before the party’s scheduled campaign launch.
State officials defended the decision, saying the property formerly belonged to the defunct Savannah Bank and that its ownership remained disputed following the bank’s liquidation.
The closure drew criticism from democracy advocates, who raised concerns about political freedoms and the ability of opposition parties to operate without interference.
Opposition politicians have increasingly accused state authorities of deploying government institutions and security agencies to obstruct their activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a separate incident, Anadolu reported that African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore was attacked by suspected thugs in Ekiti State. The report linked the alleged attackers to the federal government.
The latest allegations have added to concerns over political tensions as Nigeria’s parties prepare for next year’s presidential and state elections.
Neither the DSS nor the Sokoto State Government was quoted responding directly to Abubakar’s allegations.
