The Founder and Convener of Obailukan Strategic Support Group for Atiku (OSSAT), Hon. Toyin Anibire Adams a.k.a Obailukan, has condemned the reported arrest and arraignment of five Nigerians in Borno State over T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go”.
In a statement released on Obailukan’s official X handle and signed by his Media Executive, Comrade James Onifade, Obailukan described the action as unfortunate, condemnable and a dangerous slide into intolerance. The men were charged with criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, breach of public peace and thuggery, charges to which they pleaded not guilty.
According to Obailukan, beyond the legal proceedings, a bigger question remains for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to answer: Is harassment and intimidation now the government’s response to citizens dissatisfied with its performance?
Obailukan said political success is not measured by how effectively dissenting voices are silenced, but by visible achievements and tangible improvements in the daily lives of citizens.
“After more than three years in office and with 2027 approaching, Nigerians are looking beyond political slogans. They want to know what has changed in their homes, businesses, workplaces and communities.”
He noted that while the administration came into office promising a new hope via unrealistic economic reforms, many Nigerians are experiencing rising costs and increasing pressure on household finances.
“Instead of listening to that frustration, the arrest of people wearing ‘Tinubu Must Go’ shirts creates the impression of a government becoming intolerant of criticism. That is not how democracy should work,” Obailukan said.
Obailukan reminded President Tinubu of his own history in opposition, recalling that during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, fuel subsidy removal triggered nationwide protests, with opposition figures and APC leaders, including Tinubu himself, openly criticizing the government.
“When Jonathan was in power, criticism was defended as part of the democratic process. Now that Tinubu occupies the presidency, Nigerians expressing dissatisfaction must not be treated as enemies of the state. The same democratic space you demanded yesterday must remain open to the Nigerians you govern today,” he said.
Obailukan stressed that a government cannot expect citizens to remain silent simply because it finds their criticism uncomfortable.
“You cannot arrest away economic hardship. You cannot intimidate away hunger. You cannot prosecute away public frustration. And you cannot silence every critic before an election. The 2027 election will be a political contest in which Nigerians will assess the record of the government, and the most meaningful defence of any administration is performance, not intimidation. The people gave the mandate. The people have the right to question the mandate. Political power is temporary, but the record left behind remains,” Obailukan concluded.
Signed:
Comrade James Onifade
Media Executive to Hon. Toyin Anibire Adams a.k.a Obailukan
Founder and Convener, Obailukan Strategic Support Group for Atiku (OSSAT)
