A campaign slogan that began as scattered chants during Democracy Day protests in June 2026 has evolved into a coordinated movement, with the hashtag "Tinubu Must Go" gaining traction. The movement, started by human rights lawyers and activists Abba Hikima Fagge and Hamza Nuhu Dantani, aims to mobilize Nigerians to reject President Bola Tinubu's bid for a second term in 2027. The campaign has drawn support from opposition politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
On September 25, 2026, five men were arrested in Maiduguri, Borno State, at approximately 6 pm, by officers on a routine township patrol. The suspects, identified as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio, and Abdulhamid Mohammed, were allegedly in possession of 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 100 tablets suspected to be D5, and a shisha pot. The police also recovered two T-shirts bearing the "Tinubu Must Go" inscription.
The Borno State Police Command refuted widespread social media reports that the men were targeted for wearing political T-shirts, stating that the arrest and prosecution of the five youths were strictly due to alleged drug possession and public disturbance. The police spokesperson, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, emphasized that the Nigeria Police Force is a professional, non-partisan institution that does not discriminate against persons on the basis of political affiliation or viewpoint.
Many have condemned the arrest of the youths, including Amnesty International, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the Borno State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Critics have taken to social media platforms to denounce the arrests as an arbitrary clampdown on free speech. The movement has sparked coalition talks among opposition parties, with some online polls, town halls, and grassroots campaigns seeking to channel public anger into political action.
According to Hamza Nuhu Dantani, one of the conveners of the "Tinubu Must Go" movement, the campaign was born out of dissatisfaction with the Tinubu administration's economic policies, insecurity, and growing hardship among ordinary Nigerians. Dantani cited the removal of fuel subsidy, rising petroleum and commodity prices, taxation, and insecurity as some of the issues that motivated the activists behind the campaign.
Dantani described the movement as a non-partisan platform for public enlightenment, with the sole aim of mobilizing Nigerians to reject President Bola Tinubu's bid for a second term in 2027. He emphasized that the movement is not a vehicle for securing political appointments or advancing the personal ambitions of its organizers, but rather a platform established in the interest of ordinary Nigerians.
The movement's rapid growth, particularly on social media, is driven by widespread public dissatisfaction, according to Dantani. He argued that the movement's objective is not merely to protest against the administration but to mobilize Nigerians towards political change through the 2027 election. The movement has yet to adopt a unanimous candidate, with Dantani confirming that they have written to some key opposition politicians as part of their effort to achieve unity.
Key points
- The 'Tinubu Must Go' movement was founded by human rights lawyers and activists Abba Hikima Fagge and Hamza Nuhu Dantani to mobilize Nigerians to reject President Bola Tinubu's bid for a second term in 2027.
- Five men were arrested in Maiduguri, Borno State, for allegedly wearing 'Tinubu Must Go' T-shirts, but police refute claims, saying they were arrested for drug possession and public disturbance.
- The movement has drawn support from opposition politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and has sparked coalition talks among opposition parties.
