Amaechi Meets ‘Tinubu Must Go’ Protesters In Nasarawa As Opposition Steps Up 2027 Push

The opposition campaign against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration took a more visible turn in Nasarawa State on Thursday as African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi arrived in Lafia and was met by protesters displaying placards with the message, “Tinubu Must Go.”

Amaechi, a former Rivers State governor and former Minister of Transportation, was in the state as part of the ADC’s political engagements ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The encounter is likely to fuel the growing political contest over the direction of the country ahead of the 2027 presidential election, coming against the backdrop of increasing opposition mobilisation and sharp exchanges between supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition parties.

The “Tinubu Must Go” message has also become a subject of controversy following the arrest and arraignment of five men in Maiduguri, Borno State, over allegations linked to T-shirts carrying the same inscription.

The Borno State Police Command has maintained that the men were not arrested simply for wearing the T-shirts. According to the command, the suspects were apprehended during a routine patrol and allegedly found with items including suspected illicit drugs, a shisha pot and other materials. Police said the case before the court concerns allegations including criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery.

The five defendants have pleaded not guilty.

The case has nevertheless generated a political storm, with opposition figures and rights groups questioning the circumstances surrounding the arrests.

Former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar condemned the arrests, arguing that political dissent should be protected in a democracy. He specifically questioned whether a political slogan on a T-shirt should become the basis for criminal proceedings.

Amnesty International has also criticised the arrests, describing the reported detention as arbitrary and arguing that peaceful political expression should not constitute a criminal offence.

The police, however, have urged the public to allow the judicial process to determine the allegations against the defendants.

Against that backdrop, Amaechi’s reception in Lafia by supporters displaying the same slogan has added a fresh political dimension to the controversy.

The ADC chieftain has recently intensified his party’s grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 election. At a party gathering in Abuja, Amaechi urged ADC leaders to return to their states, local government areas and wards and work for the party’s electoral success.

He also warned that a victory for Tinubu and the APC could force the current crop of opposition leaders into political retirement, urging his supporters to intensify their mobilisation.

His Nasarawa visit therefore comes at a time when the ADC is seeking to translate its national opposition campaign into grassroots support.

The Lafia encounter also highlights the increasingly visible use of political slogans as the 2027 election approaches. While supporters of the opposition see the “Tinubu Must Go” message as an expression of political dissatisfaction, the police position in the Borno case is that the accused men face charges beyond merely displaying the slogan.

With the 2027 contest still months away, the contrasting narratives — political dissent on one side and public-order concerns on the other — are already shaping the emerging battle for votes.

For the ADC, Amaechi’s reception in Lafia provides another platform for grassroots engagement. For the Tinubu administration and its supporters, the growing opposition activity represents an increasingly organised political challenge ahead of the election.