Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has criticised Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, over the arrest and prosecution of five residents of Maiduguri for allegedly wearing T-shirts bearing the inscription, “Tinubu Must Go.”

Solomon Dalung, in a statement via his Facebook wall questioned why citizens expressing opposition to President Bola Tinubu should face criminal charges, while those publicly supporting the President are allowed to express their views without similar treatment.

The five men were reportedly arrested by the police and charged with offences including conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery.

Amnesty International has also condemned the arrests and called for the immediate release of the men, according to reports cited by Dalung.

Reacting to the development, the former minister asked Zulum to explain what exactly constituted the alleged offence committed by the protesters.

“Is it the T-shirt? Or is the offence that the message on the T-shirt is against your preferred candidate?” Dalung asked.

He argued that if wearing a “Tinubu Must Stay” shirt amounted to legitimate political expression, then wearing one bearing the message “Tinubu Must Go” should equally be protected as political expression.

Dalung said democratic governance could not function properly if citizens were allowed to express support for those in power but were punished for expressing opposing views.

“I used to think Governor Babagana Zulum was one of those politicians who still understood that decency, restraint and respect for democratic principles matter, even when you are in power. Apparently, I was wrong,” he said.

The former minister also warned that a governor’s responsibility was to govern both supporters and opponents, rather than use state institutions to suppress political disagreement.

“A Governor is not a President’s prefect in the state,” Dalung said.

He added that political office holders should remember that citizens remain citizens regardless of who they support, while political offices are temporary

Dalung therefore urged Zulum to ensure that the charges against the five men were dropped and that they were released.

“Borno is not a political detention centre. And Governor Zulum must understand that disagreeing with Tinubu is not a crime,” he said.