Abdulsalami Ginsau, Assistant Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, died on Friday, March 27, after being trapped in a malfunctioning elevator at Chida Hotels in Utako District, Abuja. Ginsau, a lawyer, had arrived a day earlier to coordinate accommodation for Kano delegates attending the APC national convention. According to Umar Haruna Doguwa, Kano APC chairman, Ginsau was last seen settling delegates before lodging at the hotel. When he failed to appear at the convention, a search began, leading the party to Utako Police Division, where they learned of an incident reported by the hotel the following day. The body was identified at the hotel and taken for autopsy. Doguwa alleged negligence by the hotel, citing prior complaints from delegates about the faulty lift.
A police source at Utako confirmed the incident was reported on March 28 and is under active investigation, with the autopsy part of the process. The hotel's manager, Princess Oluchi, declined comment, citing the ongoing probe. An insider revealed that while 150 rooms were booked, over 1,000 delegates arrived, overwhelming the facility. The source said the elevator had malfunctioned and was forced open, and Ginsau entered it early on March 27 before it collapsed with him inside. Delegates left for the convention unaware of the incident.
The Kano APC has demanded a probe, with state secretary Auwal Soja Sani Mainagge confirming Ginsau was in good health upon arrival. The party has formed a committee to work with security agencies. The Kano state government, through Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, has intervened, assuring the family of a thorough investigation.
A party official dies in a hotel elevator while handling accommodation for over a thousand delegates — yet only 150 rooms were booked. The numbers alone expose the chaos behind the scenes of Nigeria's political events. Abdulsalami Ginsau's death wasn't just a mechanical failure; it was the result of a system operating far beyond its capacity, with no regard for basic logistics or safety. For Nigerian politicians, spectacle often trumps planning — and now, someone paid the price.
