The Governorship Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in Sokoto State, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan’Iya, has called for an urgent and comprehensive humanitarian response to the worsening insecurity, displacement, poverty, and destruction of livelihoods across the state.

In a statement issued on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, August 19, 2026, by his Media Aide, Aminu Abdullahi, Dan’Iya said the scale of the crisis requires the government to move beyond statements and security operations to protecting, rehabilitating, and restoring the lives of affected citizens.

He said the situation in Sokoto should no longer be treated as a collection of isolated banditry incidents.

According to ACLED, more than 900 fatalities have been recorded from violence in Sokoto over the past year, more than twice the number in the preceding 12 months, with June 2026 recorded as the deadliest month in its Sokoto data.

The ADC candidate said the human consequences of the crisis are equally alarming, with communities deserted, families displaced, farms abandoned, and livelihoods destroyed.

He said the humanitarian dimension of insecurity requires as much attention as military and security operations because displaced citizens need food, shelter, healthcare, education, livelihood support, and a realistic pathway back to their communities.

Hon. Dan’Iya acknowledged the sacrifices of security personnel, humanitarian workers, traditional and religious leaders, volunteers, philanthropists, and ordinary citizens who continue to assist affected communities.

However, he expressed concern that government response has not matched the scale of the crisis.

He said a government must be judged not only by the number of security assets deployed, but by whether citizens are actually safe, displaced families are supported, communities are restored, and people can return to productive lives.

He also drew attention to the ₦758.7 billion 2026 Sokoto State Budget, which was signed into law in January 2026.

The ADC candidate said the state must ensure greater transparency in the deployment of humanitarian and social-welfare resources, particularly at a time when thousands of citizens are affected by insecurity and displacement.

He called for regular public disclosure of humanitarian expenditure, beneficiaries, interventions, and outcomes so that citizens can determine whether budgetary allocations are reaching those most in need.

According to Hon. Dan’Iya, the responsibility of government does not end when security personnel repel an attack.

“When a community is attacked, government must protect its people; when families are displaced, government must provide relief; when livelihoods are destroyed, government must help rebuild them; and when communities become safe, government must help their people return with dignity.”

He said Sokoto needs a humanitarian policy that connects security, relief, rehabilitation, education, healthcare, agriculture, employment, and reconstruction, rather than treating each challenge separately.

The ADC gubernatorial candidate said that under an ADC administration in Sokoto, humanitarian response would be treated as a central component of governance.

He pledged to establish a stronger and more transparent emergency-response system, strengthen the capacity of relevant humanitarian institutions, improve coordination with federal agencies and development partners, provide structured support for internally displaced persons and returnees, and ensure that vulnerable families have access to food, healthcare, education, shelter, and livelihood opportunities.

He further pledged that communities recovering from insecurity would receive targeted reconstruction and economic-recovery programmes, including support for farmers whose livelihoods have been disrupted.

He said the administration would also strengthen early-warning and community-based response mechanisms so that government is able to respond to emerging threats before they develop into large-scale humanitarian emergencies.

Hon. Dan’Iya urged the people of Sokoto not to become numb to the suffering of fellow citizens.

He remembered with profound sadness all those who have lost their lives to banditry and violence, including the late Sarkin Gobir, Alhaji Isah Muhammad Bawa. He extended his condolences to bereaved families and solidarity to displaced persons and communities living under persistent fear.

He called on the people of Sokoto to use the occasion of World Humanitarian Day to demand a government that measures its success by the lives it protects, families it restores, and communities it rebuilds.

He maintained that the people deserve more than promises and statistics: they deserve security, dignity, compassion, and results.

“Sokoto is facing a humanitarian emergency. Our people need more than silence; they need protection, relief, rehabilitation, and hope.

The 2027 election must therefore be a referendum on whether government has protected the people and responded adequately to their suffering.”

Hon. Dan’Iya wished humanitarian workers and all Nigerians working to alleviate human suffering a meaningful World Humanitarian Day, while reaffirming that the ADC remains committed to building a Sokoto State where every citizen can live safely, work with dignity, and look to the future with hope.

Please follow and like us: