The former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has vowed that his campaign in Sokoto will proceed despite alleged intimidation, declaring that the party will resist any attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party State.

Atiku stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while addressing the press on developments ahead of the party’s campaign in Sokoto.

He said what is unfolding in Sokoto is not ordinary political competition but a calculated campaign to frustrate the ADC, obstruct its campaign and deny Nigerians the freedom to choose.

“Public facilities that should be available to every political party for legitimate campaign activities have been blocked. Logistical support has been withheld. These are not harmless administrative delays. They are deliberate attempts to deny ADC a level playing field,” he said.

Atiku alleged that the leadership of the Department of State Services was recruiting people to stage protests in Sokoto to create disorder and give the APC-controlled state government a pretext to impose a curfew and prevent the campaign from taking off.

“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 roundabout. These mobilised protesters are causing gridlock. Commuters are being threatened and, in some cases, beaten,” he said.

He said security agencies existed to protect Nigerians and uphold the law, not to recruit protesters or help a political party manufacture a crisis.

“This is not intelligence work. It is political interference dressed in official uniform. I call on every officer involved to stop immediately and return to constitutional duty of impartial service,” he said.

Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of devoting too much energy to weakening credible opposition and too little to solving the problems facing Nigerians in the last three- and-a-half years.

Italian authorities have deported a Pakistani imam, Ali Kashif, following public outrage over undercover television footage in which he reportedly defended the marriage of girls as young as nine years to adult men.

The deportation followed an investigation by Italian television programme Fuori dal Coro, which aired footage of Kashif discussing the age at which girls could be considered adults under his interpretation of Islamic teachings.

During the undercover interview, Kashif reportedly argued that a girl could be considered an adult after her first menstruation, suggesting that girls as young as nine could marry adult men.

His comments triggered widespread criticism and prompted Italian authorities to investigate the matter.

According to Italian media reports published on April 3, 2026, the Brescia Police Headquarters carried out his expulsion on the instructions of Police Commissioner Paolo Sartori.

Authorities reportedly classified Kashif as a potential threat to public safety and social order. His immigration status also became a factor in the decision, as he was reportedly found not to have a valid residence permit.

Following the decision, the Pakistani national was escorted to Milan’s Malpensa Airport and placed on a flight to Islamabad, Pakistan.

Kashif had reportedly served occasionally as an imam at two Islamic centres in Brescia, Italy.

The case has reignited discussions about child protection, religious freedom, immigration enforcement and the responsibility of religious leaders to uphold the laws of the countries where they operate.

Italy’s legal framework prohibits child marriage, and the authorities’ action against Kashif was reportedly based on public-order and immigration provisions.

However, available reports indicate that the deportation was an administrative immigration measure, not a publicly reported criminal conviction.

The development highlights Italy’s position on protecting minors and enforcing its immigration laws, regardless of the religious or cultural arguments advanced in defence of child marriage.

The incident has drawn attention to the intersection of child protection, religious interpretations and national laws.

The Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has said President Bola Tinubu’s administration sees comments and suggestions as an attack.

Sanusi made the remark while noting that Tinubu’s administration lacks good spokespersons.

The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, however, said he is not a fan of politicians, but Tinubu’s administration deserves credit.

Speaking at the Oxford Global Think Tank conference convened by Arunma Oteh, Sanusi said: “This government doesn’t express itself properly. It sees every suggestion and contribution it does not like as an attack, and it doesn’t have good spokespersons.

“Let’s look at the good side of the reforms. GDP in Q2 2026 was at 4.48%. It’s not as high as it was under the Yar’Adua/Jonathan government, but during the Buhari years, the economy grew by 0.9%. Today it is at 4.5%. That’s progress. Inflation is down from 30% to 14.6% and is projected to be 12.5% by the end of the year. That is progress.

“GDP per capita in dollar terms has gone up since 2023 by 47%. If we continue at this rate, by the end of next year, GDP per capita will be back to where it was in 2005. Our reserves are at $55 billion, and yes, a lot of it is driven by portfolio flows, which are volatile, but we are lucky that there is a war in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices are high. Investors would like to stay in Nigeria because of that and the high returns, and therefore we get the portfolio flows.

“We are also making progress in terms of diversification. 20% of our exports are coming from the Dangote Refinery. There are clearly foundations being laid for stability. It’s not the end, but the first step towards stability.

“I’m not a fan of politicians, but we need to give credit to President Tinubu’s administration for bringing us back from the brink.”