The Department of State Services has rejected an allegation by Atiku Abubakar that it was recruiting thugs to obstruct campaign activities of the African Democratic Congress in Sokoto, according to TheCable. The former vice president had accused the security agency of involvement in plans to organise protests against the party in the state.
The DSS denied the claim and has ordered an investigation into the allegation, TheCable reports. THISDAYLIVE also reported that the service replied to Atiku and directed that the matter be probed.
The dispute unfolds amid a separate row over the ADC's campaign kickoff in Sokoto. Punch Newspapers reported that the party kept its venue secret following a rift with the state government. Premium Times Nigeria grouped the developments under its 2027 politics coverage, describing a security row in Sokoto.
Channels Television had earlier reported that the DSS was examining Atiku's allegation of a plot to stage protests in the state.
Details remain limited: neither the DSS statement nor Atiku's full allegation has been published in the material available, and no findings from the ordered probe have been disclosed. The service has not said what the investigation will cover or when it might conclude.
What to watch next: whether the DSS releases the outcome of its probe, and whether the ADC's Sokoto campaign proceeds without further friction with state authorities.
