ADC campaign body condemns Zulum over viral video calling for arrests of 'Tinubu Must Go' protesters

The campaign arm of the African Democratic Congress has publicly rebuked Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum after a video circulating online appeared to show him instructing authorities to arrest and detain anyone heard saying “Tinubu Must Go.” The party body called the directive an assault on democratic freedoms and warned that Nigerians should not be intimidated into silence.

According to the party group, the footage shows the governor ordering enforcement against those expressing that slogan. Reports say the clip is being shared widely; Leadership specifically reported that Zulum speaks in Hausa in the recording.

What the ADC campaign council said

Representatives of the ADC’s presidential campaign unit characterised the governor’s alleged instruction as a threat to democratic participation. The council said citizens cannot be cowed into silence for opposing President Bola Tinubu, and it criticised the call for arrests of peaceful critics. The council’s response to the video was reported by multiple outlets.

Zulum and official responses

None of the reports reviewed include a statement from Governor Zulum or from Borno State authorities responding to the allegations raised by the campaign council. The available coverage is limited to the viral clip and the ADC campaign body’s reaction.

Why this matters

The episode highlights tensions around public dissent in Nigeria. Calls by a sitting state governor—if accurately depicted in the video—to detain people for chanting a political slogan raise legal and human-rights questions, according to civil liberties advocates generally, and can affect perceptions of political space ahead of elections. The ADC campaign council framed the issue as part of a broader defence of citizens’ right to criticise elected leaders.

What is confirmed

Multiple outlets report that the party’s campaign arm criticised the governor after a video circulated showing him directing that people chanting “Tinubu Must Go” be arrested and detained. Leadership adds that the governor speaks in Hausa in the footage. The reports do not contain comments from Zulum or an official Borno State response.

The story is developing. News organisations continue to publish the video and reactions from political actors; further statements from the governor’s office or security agencies would clarify the sequence of events and any intended enforcement actions.