ADC’S SOKOTO HOTEL CONTROVERSY: POLITICAL UNPREPAREDNESS DISGUISED AS PERSECUTION AND PROPAGANDA

By Honourable Dahiru Yusuf Yabo
Political & Security Analyst | Former Commissioner | Public Policy Advocate

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has once again placed itself at the centre of a controversy that raises serious questions about political preparedness, evidential responsibility and the growing tendency to manufacture political grievances. Its allegation that the Sokoto State Government directed hotels to deny accommodation to its delegates ahead of its presidential campaign flag-off deserves scrutiny, not automatic public sympathy. *An allegation, however loudly repeated, does not become an established fact merely because it serves a political purpose.*

According to *The Guardian* of 28 October 2026, ADC alleged that hotels in Sokoto were instructed to deny accommodation to its delegates and that some guests who had already checked in were asked to leave. These are serious allegations. If substantiated, they warrant investigation and accountability. But where is the independently verifiable evidence establishing that the Sokoto State Government issued such a directive? Which hotels received it? What documentary proof connects the alleged booking difficulties to executive interference? Until credible evidence answers these questions, political accusation must not be confused with proven misconduct.

The controversy also recalls the earlier disputes surrounding ADC’s national convention preparations in Abuja, when allegations concerning hotel accommodation and properties associated with its proposed convention venue became entangled with the wider dispute over the party’s leadership. These episodes illustrate a recurring danger in Nigerian politics: allowing internal organisational crises, logistical shortcomings and unresolved political disputes to become convenient instruments for public mobilisation. The legal history of ADC’s leadership disputes should be assessed through actual court decisions, not political interpretations or selective narratives.

There is an elementary principle in political organisation: **preparation precedes performance, and responsibility precedes accusation.** A national political party planning a presidential campaign in Sokoto should anticipate accommodation requirements, establish reservations well in advance, confirm bookings and develop contingency arrangements. Sokoto is a major administrative and commercial centre that regularly hosts government functions, conferences, development programmes and NGO activities. Hotel rooms are finite resources. A hotel reporting full occupancy is not, by that fact alone, evidence of political victimisation.

As a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Sokoto South Senatorial District in 2027, I have firsthand experience of the practical demands of political mobilisation. During my campaign engagement in Tambuwal, we encountered difficulties and efforts that threatened to frustrate our programme. Nevertheless, we organised successfully without depending on government facilities. We concentrated on preparation, mobilisation and the determination to engage the electorate. That experience reinforced a simple lesson: political resilience is demonstrated by overcoming logistical challenges, not by turning every obstacle into a public accusation.

It is therefore premature and politically convenient to attribute any anticipated weakness in ADC’s Sokoto outing to alleged government interference before the facts are independently established. A campaign’s performance depends on organisation, credibility, public acceptance and the strength of its message—not merely the number of delegates accommodated in hotels.

My concern extends beyond party rivalry. I am particularly interested in the growing volume of NGO activities attracting participants to Sokoto, including programmes involving women and other vulnerable groups. Such activities deserve proper coordination and attention to their developmental value, especially given the humanitarian and security challenges confronting communities across northern Nigeria. Their presence can also contribute to legitimate pressure on accommodation capacity. That reality should encourage advance planning and responsible coordination, not speculative accusations.

If ADC possesses evidence of unlawful government interference, it should present that evidence to the appropriate authorities and allow an impartial investigation. If it does not, it should desist from presenting suspicion as established fact.

**Democracy cannot be strengthened by weaponising unverified allegations. A party aspiring to lead Nigeria must demonstrate the discipline to organise, the integrity to substantiate its claims and the maturity to accept responsibility for its own shortcomings.** Political propaganda may attract temporary attention, but it cannot substitute for competence, credibility or national leadership.

The fundamental question is not who can generate the loudest controversy in Sokoto, but who can demonstrate the preparedness, character and capacity to govern Nigeria.

Cheers !

Dahiru Yusuf Yabo
Sokoto South Senatorial District PDP Candidate 2027