We Formed ‘Tinubu Must Go’ Movement Over Tinubu’s Harsh Economic Policies – Convener

Convener of the ” Tinubu Must Go” Movement and human rights Activist, Hamza Nuhu Dantati, has revealed that economic hardships, killings and massive abductions bedeviling Nigeria led to his decision to form the movement.

Dantani said he made the move for the movement on March 30, 2026 without the prior knowledge of President Tinubu, adding that it was when he posted that he would launch a campaign on ” Tinubu Must Go” that his co-convener and friend, Abba Hikima Fagge, aligned himself with the launch of the movement.

The Borno-born legal practitioner added that the movement was borne out of the “Ghana Must Go” slogan he posted on Facebook which he translated to ” Tinubu Must Go” .

Speaking with our correspondent in Maiduguri, he added that his co-convener, Fagge, was campaigning for Peter Obi before, but decided to run an online poll among his followers to vote for the presidential candidate, and after Atiku Abubakar won the poll with about 69 to 79 percent of the votes cast, Hikima had to toe the path of his followers and changed his direction to Atiku.

The activist said from that day , Fagge joined him and they are now moving to see changes in the country’s democratic system.

“It is not that we don’t like Tinubu in person, we hate his policies. He is somebody who is sabotaging the rule of law and keeping the other arms of government to under his control using the senate president and the speaker of the House of Representatives as an extension of the executive arm of government.

The “Tinubu Must Go” slogan, according to Dantani, began as scattered chants during Democracy Day protests in June 2026 before developing into a coordinated movement.

Dantani and fellow human rights lawyer and activist Fagge confirmed that they founded the movement.

They described TMG as a non-partisan platform for public enlightenment aimed at mobilising Nigerians to reject President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027.

Dantani further said the movement was established in response to what he described as dissatisfaction with the administration’s economic policies, insecurity and hardship among Nigerians.

He cited the removal of fuel subsidy, rising petroleum and commodity prices, taxation and insecurity among the issues that motivated the movement.

“What inspired us to establish this movement is looking at the way the government and policies of this government are not friendly to the progress of this country,” Dantani said.

He said the movement was also motivated by what its organisers regarded as a gap between promises made during the 2023 election campaign and citizens’ experiences since Tinubu assumed office.

“We wanted to see the changes. We wanted to bring changes to this administration,” he said.

Dantani also said the movement sought to challenge what he described as the prolonged dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the federal level.

“We can no longer be in a one-party system that has ruled since 2015. APC is ruling this country to date. So, we want to bring change,” he said.

He, however, said the movement was established in the interest of ordinary Nigerians and not to secure political appointments or advance the personal ambitions of its organisers.

“We believe that we organised this movement because of consideration of the poor masses of this country, not because of our personal gain, not because of our ambition to have any political office, not because of any promises, and not because of money,” Dantani said.

According to him, the growth of TMG, particularly on social media, was driven by what he described as widespread dissatisfaction.

“There is no particular secret. The secret is sincerity and honesty. People are tired of this administration,” he said.

He added that the movement’s objective extended beyond protests to mobilising Nigerians towards political change through the 2027 election.

Dantani said TMG had written to some opposition politicians as part of efforts to encourage them to unite but had yet to receive a response.

“Our initial intention was to serve them with letters so that at least we need unity. Let them unite themselves and come up with one contestant who will contest on behalf of the opposition,” he said.

On Plight of the situation of the five men arrested in Borno for wearing the ” Tinubu Must Go” T-shirts slogan, Dantani said they are still being detained in prison since last week Tuesday, adding that there has been no communication between the government and commissioner of police.

“‘ They have not been released. What we are doing now is to either wait for the next adjournment coming up on October 6 or to mount pressure through every means for the release. Their continued detention is anarchy and abuse of rule of law, abuse of police power and that of government.

On the charges preferred against the five men by the police in the court, Dantani, challenged the clarification issued by the Borno State Police Command over their arrest and prosecution.

The human rights activist, said he had carefully studied the statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Nahum Daso Kenneth, and found apparent discrepancies between the police account and the charge sheet before the court.

The police had said the five suspects were arrested over alleged thuggery, inciting public disturbance and possession of illicit substances, while denying that they were targeted for wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”

According to the police statement, officers recovered 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 100 tablets suspected to be D5, one shisha pot, a pair of scissors and two T-shirts bearing the “Tinubu Must Go” inscription.

However, Dantani alleged that the items listed by the police were not reflected in the particulars of the offences contained in the charge sheet before the court, apart from the reference to the inscription.

He questioned why the alleged items recovered from the suspects were not captured in the particulars of the offences for which they were arraigned.

“If the Police genuinely arrested these persons with the items listed in its public statement, why are those alleged items not reflected in the particulars of the offenses contained in the charge sheet?” Dantani asked.

He further questioned how the alleged items, even if recovered, established the offences of conspiracy and inciting public disturbance for which the five persons were prosecuted.

“More importantly, assuming, without conceding, that those items were recovered from the suspects, how do they establish the offenses of conspiracy and inciting public disturbance for which the five persons were prosecuted?” he said.

Dantani argued that a police press statement could not substitute for the charge before the court, adding that the prosecution must establish the ingredients of the specific offences charged through admissible evidence and the particulars contained in the charge.

“The charge sheet is a court document. It is available on the record of the proceedings,” he said.

He also urged the police to exercise caution when making public statements about persons who had not been convicted, arguing that such statements could affect their reputation, dignity and fundamental rights.

Dantani stressed that the presumption of innocence remained fundamental, with every person charged with a criminal offence presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.

He called on the Borno State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Naziru Abdulmajid, to explain the apparent contradiction between the charge sheet and the statement issued by its spokesperson.

Dantani also urged the command to review the circumstances surrounding the continued detention of the five persons and, where the charges were found to be unsupported or legally defective, take appropriate lawful steps to bring the matter to an end.

“No citizen should remain in prison custody merely because of a political expression or slogan where the prosecution cannot establish a legally cognizable offense supported by the particulars and evidence required by law,” he said.

“This is not about politics. It is about law, due process, human dignity and the rule of law.”

The controversy followed the arrest of five men in Maiduguri on September 25, 2026.

The police said the suspects — Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed, were arrested at about 6pm during a routine township patrol around West-end Roundabout.

According to ASP Daso, the suspects engaged in conduct considered capable of causing a breach of public peace.

The police subsequently said the suspects were charged to court after preliminary investigations and the recording of statements.

The case was mentioned before Chief Magistrate Court I in Maiduguri, where the five defendants pleaded not guilty.

The arrests generated criticism from groups and individuals, including Amnesty International, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Borno State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The criticism followed reports that the men had been detained after being seen wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”

The police, however, rejected the claim that the arrests were politically motivated, insisting that the suspects were being prosecuted over alleged criminal offences.

The command said the Nigeria Police Force was a professional and non-partisan institution that did not discriminate against persons based on political affiliation or viewpoint.