Atiku Demands Release of Five Nigerians Arrested Over ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-Shirts
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called for the immediate release of five Nigerians arrested in Maiduguri, Borno State, over T-shirts bearing the inscription, “Tinubu Must Go.”
Atiku made the call on Wednesday through the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, following reports that the five men had been arrested and arraigned before a court in Maiduguri.
The men were identified as Baba Aji Gremami, 44; Mustapha Abba Yemen, 28; Abbacha Mohammed Ali, 32; Adam Umar Gubio, 21; and Abdulhamid Mohammed, 21.
According to a First Information Report issued by the State Criminal Investigation Department in Maiduguri, the incident allegedly occurred on September 25 around the West End Roundabout area of the Borno State capital.
The police charged the five defendants with criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery under Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code. The defendants pleaded not guilty when they appeared before the Chief Magistrate Court I in Maiduguri.
Their lawyers subsequently applied for bail. Reports say the court adjourned the matter until October 6 for a ruling on the bail application, while the substantive case was fixed for October 26.
Reacting to the development, Atiku questioned the basis for detaining citizens over a political message printed on clothing.
He argued that if the T-shirts were the reason for the arrests, the authorities should explain how wearing such a political slogan amounted to an offence.
Atiku also referred to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s participation in protests during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, saying Nigerians should similarly be able to express their views about the current government.
“Nigerians must be free to tell Tinubu that his policies are hurting them,” Atiku said, according to a statement released by his campaign communication team.
The arrests have also attracted reactions from the Borno chapter of the ADC, which condemned the development and called for the immediate release of the five men.
The case has meanwhile generated wider debate over political expression and public-order laws as Nigeria moves towards the 2027 general elections.
For now, the five men remain defendants in an ongoing court case, and the allegations against them have not been determined by the court.
Atiku’s demand for their release adds another political dimension to a case that has already drawn attention from opposition groups and rights advocates.