THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State has been thrown into mourning following the tragic and mysterious death of its newly elected deputy organising secretary, Abdulsalam Ginsau, whose lifeless body was discovered inside an elevator at a hotel in Abuja.
News Point Nigeria gathered that Ginsau, a prominent lawyer and rising political figure, was found dead at Chida Hotels, where he had lodged ahead of the party’s national convention in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to party officials, Ginsau arrived in Abuja on Thursday evening as part of the Kano APC delegation and was responsible for coordinating accommodation for members attending the convention.
Trouble began on Friday morning when he failed to appear at the convention ground, raising concerns among colleagues.
The party’s organising secretary, Kabiru Zawaciki, said repeated attempts to reach him via phone were unsuccessful, prompting a search.
“He was supposed to join us at the convention ground on Friday morning from his hotel, but he was nowhere to be found, and his phone was unreachable,” Zawaciki said.
Party members later visited his hotel room, which was locked from the outside. After gaining access with a master key, they discovered that Ginsau was not inside, further deepening fears about his whereabouts.
The mystery took a tragic turn on Saturday when police contacted party officials, leading to the discovery of Ginsau’s body inside a hotel elevator.
Zawaciki said the body was found lying lifeless on the floor of the lift, with initial suspicions pointing to possible suffocation due to a malfunction or power outage.
Similarly, the Kano APC chairman, Umar Haruna Doguwa, confirmed that the party was alerted by the police after a report was made from the hotel.
“We were informed at the police station that an incident had occurred at the hotel. When we got there, we identified the body as that of our colleague,” Doguwa said.
Emerging details suggest that the hotel’s elevator may have been faulty prior to the incident.
Sources disclosed that some delegates had earlier complained about malfunctioning lifts within the facility. It was further alleged that the deceased unknowingly entered a defective elevator, which subsequently collapsed or stalled.
A hotel insider claimed that the facility had been overwhelmed by an unusually large number of guests, as over 1,000 APC delegates reportedly occupied about 150 booked rooms.
The source added that management had raised concerns over overcrowding, but organisers insisted on accommodating all delegates.
According to the account, Ginsau, who stayed on the third floor, entered the faulty elevator in the early hours of Friday, after which the system reportedly failed.
His absence went unnoticed until the following day when hotel staff detected a foul odour, leading to a search that uncovered his remains.
A source at the Nigeria Police Force confirmed that the incident was reported on March 28 and that an investigation is ongoing.
“The matter is under investigation, and an autopsy is part of efforts to determine the exact cause of death,” the source said.
Efforts to get an official statement from the FCT Police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the management of Chida Hotels declined to comment, citing the ongoing police investigation.
The Kano State chapter of the APC has constituted a committee to probe the circumstances surrounding Ginsau’s death.
The party’s spokesperson, Auwal Sani Soja, said the party is working closely with security agencies and the deceased’s family to uncover the truth.
“The party has launched a proper investigation, and we are committed to ensuring that the circumstances surrounding his death are fully uncovered,” he said.
The Kano State Government has also intervened, assuring the family that a thorough investigation will be conducted.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Hamza Haladu described the incident as shocking, noting that Ginsau was in good health before travelling.
“He was full of life. The news of his death came as a complete shock to us,” he said.
Ginsau’s remains were deposited at the National Hospital in Abuja for autopsy, with results expected to determine the exact cause of death.
Zawaciki disclosed that legal steps had already been initiated against the hotel management over alleged negligence.
“The hotel has not provided satisfactory answers. His lawyer colleagues have begun legal action, and we are awaiting the autopsy report,” he said.
The body is expected to be transported to Kano for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
Until his death, Ginsau was a respected legal practitioner and political strategist. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Ginsau & Sons and practiced law at Ginsau & Co. Advocates.
An alumnus of the Islamic University in Uganda and the Nigerian Law School, Abuja, he built a reputation in corporate and commercial law, as well as litigation involving property, tax, and intellectual property.
Within the APC, he was regarded as an influential figure whose contributions spanned legal advisory and political mobilisation.
He is survived by two wives and two children.