Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has joined civil society groups and human rights activist Omoyele Sowore in demanding the immediate release of five Nigerians arrested in Borno State over T-shirts bearing the inscription, “Tinubu Must Go”.
Their call came barely 24 hours after Amnesty International condemned the arrest and detention of the five men by the Borno State Police Command over the T-shirts in Maiduguri, the state capital.
The men were identified as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said the arrests raised questions about freedom of expression in Nigeria.
He said if the political slogan was the reason for their detention, the authorities should explain how wearing a T-shirt expressing a political opinion became an offence.
“‘Tinubu Must Go’ is a demand for political change. It is not a weapon, a threat or a crime,” the statement read.
“President Tinubu can disagree with those words. He can campaign against them. He cannot make people disappear into custody for wearing them.”
Atiku asked the authorities to disclose the whereabouts of the five Nigerians and grant them immediate access to their families and lawyers.
He also recalled President Bola Tinubu’s opposition to the fuel pricing policies of former President Goodluck Jonathan, contrasting Tinubu’s position at the time with the economic difficulties Nigerians are currently experiencing under his administration.
“Tinubu opposed Jonathan’s fuel policy in the streets. Nigerians are living with the consequences of Tinubu’s fuel policy in their homes,” Atiku said.
Similarly, Sowore condemned the police action, describing the arrests as unlawful and accusing the authorities of humiliating and detaining citizens for expressing political opposition.
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) also accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum of being behind the arrests.
Sowore further alleged that the five men were subsequently secretly arraigned before a magistrate and remanded in prison.
“The charges against them must be dropped immediately, and all five citizens must be released from this unjust detention,” Sowore said.
“Political opposition is not a crime. Peaceful expression is not a crime. Nigerians must never be imprisoned simply for opposing those in power,” he added.