MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Former Youth and Sports Minister Solomon Dalung criticised Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum on Thursday over the arrest and prosecution of five men associated with T-shirts bearing the message “Tinubu Must Go”.
Dalung accused Zulum of applying a double standard to political expression, questioning why messages supporting President Bola Tinubu could be displayed freely while people displaying an opposing slogan had been arrested.
Five men were arrested in Maiduguri and subsequently arraigned on allegations including criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace, and thuggery.
Dalung challenged the distinction between political messages supporting and opposing the president.
“Is it the T-shirt? Or is the offence that the message on the T-shirt is against your preferred candidate?” Dalung said.
“If ‘Tinubu Must Stay’ is a legitimate political expression, then ‘Tinubu Must Go’ is also a legitimate political expression,” he added.
Dalung said elected officials were responsible for governing citizens regardless of their political positions and warned against using state authority to enforce political conformity.
“A Governor is not a President’s prefect in the state,” he said.
He called on Zulum to intervene and seek the release of the five men.
“Borno is not a political detention centre. And Governor Zulum must understand that disagreeing with Tinubu is not a crime,” Dalung said.
The Borno State Police Command has rejected claims that the men were arrested simply for expressing opposition to Tinubu.
Police said officers detained the five during a routine patrol around West End Roundabout in Maiduguri on September 25 and alleged that they were involved in conduct capable of disturbing public peace.
The command also said officers recovered substances suspected to be illicit drugs, along with two “Tinubu Must Go” T-shirts.
The allegations have not been determined by a court.
The men have pleaded not guilty.
Their bail application was adjourned for a ruling on October 6, while the substantive case was scheduled for October 26.
There has been no independently established evidence that Zulum personally ordered the arrests.
Amnesty International has criticised the arrests and called for the men to be released, arguing that expressing political opposition through clothing should not, by itself, be treated as a criminal offence.
The rights group has also disputed the police account concerning suspected drugs, saying the allegation emerged after the men had initially been accused of offences relating to public disturbance and thuggery.
Police, however, maintain that the case involves alleged conduct beyond the political message on the shirts.
