Prince Adewale Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, has called for the immediate release of five protesters reportedly detained in Borno State for participating in a demonstration against President Bola Tinubu’s administration
The protesters were identified as Ba’ana Grema, Mustapha Abba, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio and Abdulhamid Mohammed
Adebayo, in a statement issued by the Movement Adebayo for President (MAP), described their continued detention as an infringement on democratic freedoms and accused the authorities of attempting to suppress opposition voices
He said wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go” did not constitute an offence if the protesters acted peacefully
The SDP candidate challenged the Borno State Government, the police and the Federal Government to respect citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly
He also urged the police to remain neutral as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections
“The police must protect and defend the rights of citizens to peacefully sell their candidates, and they must refuse to be used against opposition parties and candidates,” he said
Adebayo warned against using law enforcement agencies to intimidate opposition figures and citizens expressing views contrary to those of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
He called on Nigerians and other stakeholders to support efforts to secure the release of the detainees, insisting that citizens should not be punished for peacefully expressing their political opinions