‘Tinubu Must Go’ meeting banned in Kano

From Desmond Mgboh, Kano

The police, yesterday, stopped a group of promoters of the “Tinubu Must Go” campaign from holding a meeting in Kano State.

The meeting was scheduled to take place at The Avenue Event Centre, along Murtala Muhammed Way, in the Badawa area of Kano, but police operatives reportedly blocked access to the venue.

One of the conveners, Abba Hikima, alleged that policemen prevented members of the group from accessing the venue, which he said was a private facility they had paid to use.

In a live video posted on his verified Facebook page, Hikima said the group had gathered to exercise its fundamental human rights and educate its members on the need to reject the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the forthcoming 2027 general election.

Hikima disclosed that he had spoken by telephone with the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, who told him that the command ought to have been informed about the meeting.

He, however, maintained that the law did not require police permission for such a gathering.

“We are not criminals, we are not thugs… The provision of the law is clear that you no longer need police permission to have any gathering,” he said.

He cited Sections 35, 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee personal liberty, freedom of expression and freedom of association.

The convener vowed that the group would return to hold its meeting and organise demonstrations.

Responding to the allegations in an interview with DCL Hausa, Commissioner of Police Bakori said the police did not intend to prevent the group from exercising its rights but stressed the importance of notifying the command to enable it to provide adequate security.

“What happened is that, in the first place, it is their right to come and organise their gathering. Nobody will stop them, and the law does not require them to inform us. However, notifying us is important because it allows us to regulate the event and ensure there is no tension,” Bakori said.

The police commissioner explained that information circulating on social media indicated that about 700 people were expected to attend the meeting, adding that the command needed details of the gathering to protect both the participants and residents.

“If 700 people are coming into Kano, we need to know the details… If anything happens, it will create tension,” he said.

Bakori cited a recent incident in Sabon Gari, where weapons were allegedly recovered from some persons who claimed to have come to Kano for a political event, as part of the security concerns informing the command’s position.

He dismissed suggestions that the police action was politically motivated, insisting that the command was only carrying out its responsibility to maintain peace and security in the state.

“You cannot stop people from expressing their views… There is nothing political about this. It is about understanding the situation and protecting the people of Kano State,” he added.