Police Crackdown on Anti-Tinubu Rally Sparks Outcry in Kano

The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has vehemently condemned the disruption of a peaceful “Tinubu Must Go” rally in Kano by the Kano State Police Command. The council described the police action as shameful, unconstitutional, and a clear descent into authoritarianism, highlighting a severe violation of Nigerians’ constitutionally guaranteed rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

The rally, which was spearheaded by Barrister Abba Hikima and organized by a coalition of concerned youths, reportedly faced significant obstruction from police operatives. According to the ADC-PCC, police barricaded The Avenue Event Center, the designated venue for the gathering, and allegedly intimidated participants. Despite these formidable obstacles, the youths demonstrated remarkable courage and determination by insisting on proceeding with the rally, a move lauded by the ADC-PCC as an unwavering refusal to be silenced.

Adding to its strong condemnation, the council also criticized the reported arrest of the owner of The Avenue Event Center. This arrest, for allegedly permitting his facility to be used for the event, was cited by the ADC-PCC as stark evidence of the current APC-led government's intolerance for dissent. Kola Ologbondiyan, the Director of Media and Publicity for the ADC-PCC, queried the government's actions, stating, “This is not democracy. This is tyranny. For how long will the APC continue to use the police to suppress dissenting voices?” He underscored the irony of a government that professes to uphold democratic values appearing threatened by citizens exercising their fundamental constitutional rights.

Ologbondiyan further articulated the widespread sentiment among the populace, declaring, “The message from Kano is loud and clear: Nigerians are tired, hungry and angry. You can stop a rally and arrest a venue owner, but you cannot arrest hunger in the land. You cannot barricade the anger and frustration of over 200 million people.” He emphasized that the government’s priorities were gravely misplaced, arguing that the same intensity deployed to disrupt a peaceful rally should instead be channeled towards tackling pervasive insecurity, rampant banditry, and the crushing cost of living that afflicts the nation. He added, “If the APC government had deployed the same energy it used to stop a peaceful rally at The Avenue Event Center to tackle insecurity, banditry and the excruciating cost of living, Nigeria would be a safer and more prosperous nation.”

In its call to action, the ADC-PCC urged the Inspector-General of Police and the Kano State Police Command to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of the event center owner, if he remains in custody. The council also implored the police to cease actions that risk transforming the force into an instrument of political oppression. Furthermore, it appealed to civil society organizations, human rights groups, and the international community to monitor what it described as a perilous erosion of democratic freedoms in Nigeria. The ADC-PCC concluded by affirming that “The right to protest is not a privilege granted by the police or the APC; it is a right guaranteed by the Constitution. No amount of intimidation will stop Nigerians from demanding change.”