The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has asked Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum to explain a video that is going around. In the video, he allegedly threatens to arrest people who use the slogan, “Tinubu Must Go.”
Phrank Shaibu, who is the director of strategic communications for the campaign council, said in a statement on Sunday that the governor's words seem to go against his recent denial of ordering the arrest of people wearing T-shirts with that slogan.
The video posted on X shows Mr Zulum speaking in Hausa.
PREMIUM TIMES has not verified when or where the video was recorded, nor the full context of what the governor said.
Mr Zulum had denied ordering the arrests, claiming he did not know about the detention of the men. He said he never told anyone to arrest opposition supporters or critics of his government.
The ADC is asking him to explain this contradiction. “This is especially troubling because Governor Zulum recently denied ordering the arrest of people wearing ‘Tinubu Must Go’ T-shirts,” Mr Shaibu said. “He must explain the new video and clear up the confusion with that denial.”
The campaign council added that opposing a president, even through slogans or clothing, should not lead to arrests. They believe if authorities have proof that someone committed another crime, they should deal with that separately instead of punishing political expression.
“No governor has the right to criminalize peaceful political opinions,” Mr Shaibu said.
The ADC also urged Mr Zulum to withdraw any orders aimed at people simply for opposing President Bola Tinubu. This issue came up after five men were arrested in Maiduguri on 25 September.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the men, Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio, and Abdulhamid Mohammed were charged with criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, breach of public peace, and thuggery.
According to the charges seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the police claimed the men plotted to print T-shirts with the “Tinubu Must Go” slogan to disrupt public peace near West End Roundabout in Maiduguri.
The Borno State Police Command later gave more details about the arrests. They said officers found the men during a routine patrol and seized 15 wraps of dried leaves they suspected to be cannabis, 100 tablets believed to be D5, a shisha pot, a pair of scissors, and two T-shirts with the slogan.
The police insisted that the arrests were not due to the suspects’ political views and said the court should look at the allegations based on the evidence presented.
Mr Zulum later distanced himself from the arrests and stated that opposition supporters have the right to express their opinions within the law. The video that is going around has led the ADC to call for further clarification from the governor.
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