Atiku Accuses DSS Leadership Of Recruiting Protesters To Disrupt ADC Campaign Rally In Sokoto
Atiku Accuses DSS Leadership Of Recruiting Protesters To Disrupt ADC Campaign Rally In Sokoto
He claimed the alleged move was intended to create chaos, trigger the imposition of a curfew and prevent the opposition party from campaigning in the state.
Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, has accused the leadership of the Department of State Services (DSS), also known as the State Security Service (SSS), of recruiting protesters to disrupt the party’s campaign rally in Sokoto State.
He claimed the alleged move was intended to create chaos, trigger the imposition of a curfew and prevent the opposition party from campaigning in the state.
Atiku described the planned disruption as part of a broader attempt by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to frustrate opposition parties, restrict democratic participation and undermine political competition ahead of the elections.
The former vice president made the allegations while addressing journalists, where he accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of using state institutions and administrative restrictions to deny opposition parties a level playing field.
According to him, public facilities meant to be accessible to political parties for legitimate campaign activities had been blocked, while logistical support for the ADC rally had allegedly been withheld.
Atiku described the alleged actions as a calculated attempt to prevent the opposition from engaging voters freely, warning that the use of security institutions for partisan political purposes would undermine public confidence in the country’s democratic system.
“More disturbing still, the information available to us is that the leadership of the Department of State Services is recruiting people to stage protests in Sokoto.
“The objective is to create disorder, give the APC-controlled state government a pretext to impose a curfew and prevent our campaign take-off from holding as scheduled,” he said.
The ADC presidential candidate further explained that some of the protesters had gathered at an office behind Zenith Bank on Koko Road in Sokoto, claiming that trucks were being dispatched from the location to strategic points, including a roundabout.
He said that the mobilised protesters were creating traffic congestion, threatening commuters and assaulting some residents.
“We know where some of these protesters are assembled: an office behind Zenith Bank on Koko Road. Trucks are stationed there and dispatched to key points, including the roundabout.
“These mobilised protesters are causing gridlock. Commuters are being threatened and, in some cases, beaten,” Atiku said.
He condemned the involvement of security operatives in mobilising protesters, describing such conduct as political interference rather than legitimate intelligence work.
“This is not intelligence work. It is political interference dressed in official uniform.
“Security agencies exist to protect Nigerians and uphold the law, not to recruit protesters or help a political party manufacture a crisis,” he added.
Atiku called on the DSS leadership to ensure that its personnel remained politically neutral and carried out their responsibilities in accordance with the Constitution, stressing that security agencies should protect citizens irrespective of their political affiliations.
He also urged the authorities to guarantee the safety of residents, commuters and ADC supporters and ensure that the party’s rally proceeded peacefully without intimidation or interference.
Beyond the alleged plot to disrupt the Sokoto rally, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of devoting excessive attention to weakening opposition parties instead of addressing the country’s worsening economic difficulties.
He stated that the APC had adopted a strategy of political absorption and intimidation, including efforts to attract former opposition figures into its fold, in what he described as an attempt to shrink the space for political competition and gradually turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
The former vice president argued that the administration should instead focus on the rising cost of living and the hardship confronting millions of Nigerians struggling to afford food, transportation, fuel, electricity and other essential goods and services.
“For three and a half years, the Tinubu administration has devoted too much energy to weakening credible opposition and too little to solving the problems facing Nigerians.
“Food, transport, fuel, electricity and other essentials have become unaffordable for millions. Families are struggling to feed their children, pay school fees and keep their businesses alive.
“That is the record this government should be defending before the people, instead of trying to stop a rally,” he said.
Atiku promised that an ADC-led government would introduce policies aimed at reducing the cost of living, stimulating local production, strengthening food security and creating employment opportunities.
He specifically proposed a targeted production subsidy tied to fuel refined in Nigeria, arguing that the measure would provide measurable relief to consumers while supporting domestic industries.
“I will make life affordable again. We will support local production, strengthen food production, create jobs and reduce the cost of doing business,” he said.
The ADC presidential candidate also criticised the APC over what he described as poor attendance at its recent rally in Kaduna State, claiming that the turnout reflected declining public confidence in the ruling party.
He said that instead of learning from the experience, the ruling party had resorted to intimidation and obstruction of opposition activities.
Atiku described the 2027 general election as a defining moment for Nigeria’s democracy, insisting that the contest would determine whether citizens could freely choose their leaders without intimidation or interference.
“This is more than a contest between parties or candidates. It is a choice between a government that has shown indifference to people’s suffering and Nigerians who have endured enough and want their votes to count,” he said.
He vowed that the ADC would resist attempts to frustrate its campaign through administrative restrictions and other alleged underhand tactics, maintaining that the party would continue to mobilise supporters and engage Nigerians ahead of the elections.
The former vice president also confirmed that he would travel to Sokoto the following day to address residents, despite the alleged efforts to prevent the rally from taking place.
He appealed to residents and party supporters to remain calm and peaceful, warning them against allowing anyone to provoke them into actions that could trigger a security crisis.
“I call on the people of Sokoto to remain calm and peaceful. Do not allow anyone to provoke you or turn a political gathering into a security crisis.
“I also urge the security agencies to protect commuters, residents and rally participants without favour. The authorities must ensure that our rally can hold peacefully and without interference,” he said.
Atiku further assured ADC supporters that he would personally lead the party’s presidential campaign and would not abandon the political contest despite the alleged attempts to restrict its activities.
“As the Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, I give you my word: I will lead this campaign and I will not abandon the field.
“We will confront every attempt to restrict democratic participation with firmness, organisation and faith in the Nigerian people,” he said.
He warned that security personnel found to have colluded in suppressing political freedom would be held accountable under the law, while pledging support for officers who refused to be used against democratic institutions.
“Nigeria belongs to its people, not to any party or temporary occupant of power. We will defend that truth and the people’s right to choose,” Atiku added.
