Members of the ‘Tinubu Must Go’ movement have vowed to organise fresh protests and demonstrations after security operatives allegedly prevented them from accessing a venue booked for their meeting in Kano State.
Abba Hikima, a lawyer and one of the movement’s conveners, disclosed this during a Facebook Live broadcast on Sunday, October 11, 2026, accusing the police of infringing on their fundamental rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of association.
Hikima alleged that more than 10 mobile police vehicles were stationed at the venue to prevent members of the group from entering the facility, which he said they had paid to use for their meeting.
The movement, which describes itself as a non-partisan platform for public enlightenment, is mobilising Nigerians to vote President Bola Tinubu out of office in the 2027 general elections.
The group cited the administration’s economic policies, which it believes have worsened hardship among Nigerians, as the reason for its opposition to the President.
During the broadcast, Hikima, dressed in a shirt and fez cap bearing the inscription ‘Tinubu Must Go’, maintained that the gathering was intended to provide an opportunity for members to exchange ideas and educate the public about the need for political change.
He insisted that the meeting was peaceful and would be conducted within the confines of the law, dismissing any suggestion that the organisers posed a security threat.
The lawyer also disclosed that Kano State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, had contacted him before the planned meeting and advised him to inform the police about the gathering.
According to Hikima, he explained to the police commissioner that the meeting would take place within an enclosed private facility and that the organisers were prepared to conduct themselves peacefully.
He argued that Nigerians did not require police permission to hold such gatherings, citing Sections 35, 39 and 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, which address personal liberty, freedom of expression and freedom of association, respectively.
Hikima further maintained that the movement had the right to display its ‘Tinubu Must Go’ insignia, describing it as a political expression rather than an act of insult or provocation.
He also referenced a Court of Appeal decision in support of his position that citizens could organise rallies without obtaining police permission.
Despite the alleged obstruction, the convener declared that the movement would not abandon its campaign, promising to return with fresh demonstrations and protests.
“We are coming back. Next time, we are going to protest. Next time, we are going to demonstrate,” Hikima said during the broadcast, as some members chanted, ‘Tinubu Must Go’.
Efforts to obtain the police’s account of the incident were unsuccessful as the Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, did not answer calls or respond to text messages and WhatsApp messages sent to him.
The police had yet to publicly explain why officers were stationed at the venue as of the time of filing this report.
