Members of the 'Tinubu Must Go' movement in Nigeria have protested against the police blockade of their meeting venue in Kano State. The group, a non-partisan platform aimed at mobilizing Nigerians to vote out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, claimed that policemen were preventing them from accessing the venue. Abba Hikima, a lawyer and one of the conveners of the movement, raised the alarm in a live video posted on his verified Facebook page.
According to Hikima, about 10 mobile police vehicles were stationed at the venue of their planned meeting. He alleged that the police were trying to prevent them from exercising their fundamental human rights to associate freely and exchange ideas on the need to send away the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Hikima stated that the group had paid for the private venue and had the right to gather there.
The 'Tinubu Must Go' movement hinged its action on the administration's economic policies, which it claimed had inflicted hardship on citizens. Hikima emphasized that the group's meeting was intended to be civil and within the legal boundaries. He had a telephone conversation with the Commissioner of Police in Kano, Ibrahim Bakori, who reportedly told him that the security agency needed to be informed about the meeting.
Hikima assured the Commissioner that the gathering would be peaceful and operated within the law. However, the police still barricaded the venue. Hikima cited sections 39, 40, and 35 of the Constitution, which guarantee the rights to exchange ideas and opinions, associate, and personal liberty. He accused the police of being oppressors and insisted that the group had the right to wear their 'Tinubu Must Go' insignia.
The police barricade was seen as an attempt to prevent the group from chanting 'Tinubu Must Go'. Hikima vowed that the group would continue with their plans, stating that they would protest, demonstrate, and hit the ground next time. The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, did not respond to calls or messages seeking clarification on why the police barricaded the venue.
The 'Tinubu Must Go' movement's actions are part of a larger effort to mobilize Nigerians against the current administration. The group's plans to protest and demonstrate in the future suggest that the issue may not be resolved soon. The police blockade of the meeting venue has sparked tensions in Kano State.
The incident highlights the challenges faced by groups seeking to exercise their rights to freedom of assembly and expression in Nigeria. The 'Tinubu Must Go' movement's determination to continue with their plans despite the police blockade suggests that the issue will continue to be a contentious one.
Key points
- The police barricade of the meeting venue was seen as an attempt to suppress the group's right to freedom of assembly and expression.
- The 'Tinubu Must Go' movement is a non-partisan platform aimed at mobilizing Nigerians to vote out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
- The group claims that the administration's economic policies have inflicted hardship on citizens, leading to their call for a change in leadership.
