I respect people’s attitude and I respect society’s views,” he said.
He suggested that TMG would not necessarily become an appendage of whichever opposition politician eventually emerges as a challenger to Tinubu.
The big concern is who they will approve
But although TMG seeks to rally Nigerians against President Bola Tinubu, political scientist Professor Murtala Muhammad said the movement faces a bigger query: who comes following him?
The professor of political science at North West University, Kano, said the emergence of TMG reflects how civil audience activists and internet-based networks are turning society dissatisfaction into organised political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Nonetheless, he said the fragmented nature of the opposition could create TMG’s aim of producing a lone challenger difficult to extend to.
“Once, it was ‘Tinubu Must Go’. The undisclosed is sincerity and honesty. Is it Obi, is it Atiku, is it another individual or another party?” Muhammad said.
He said the large opposition figures were anticipated to experience difficulties agreeing on a typical candidate given that of competing political ambitions.
“All the candidates feel they can win the election free from the other party,” he said.
Muhammad said TMG would accordingly demand to go beyond social media mobilisation and activity towards building structures, appealing voters and forming broader coalitions if it hopes to sway the 2027 election.
Dantani stressed that Hikima’s statement was his individual opinion and did not whole to an authorized adoption of Atiku by TMG yet.
He maintained that the movement’s role remained that opposition politicians should primary unite and produce a widespread candidate. If they failed to do so, he said, Nigerians should be allowed to choose amid the opposition contenders.
Dantani’s reluctance to approve a detail opposition candidate, he explained, is furthermore rooted in his preference as a human being rights activist.
“I respect the provision of the Constitution. Then who will come? Let them unite themselves and come up including one contestant who will contest on behalf of the opposition,” he said.
But the concern of which candidate TMG should fund has already generated an essential distinction during its instruction.
Dantani’s co-convener, Abba Hikima, publicly expressed endorse for Atiku Abubakar once conducting an web-based poll in which Atiku emerged as the preferred candidate within respondents. APC is ruling this country to date. Humans are tired of this administration,” he said.
He argued that the movement would not interest to guide if Nigerians were satisfied together with the direction of the country.
He said the movement’s objective is not merely to protest against the administration but to mobilise Nigerians towards political tune by route of the 2027 election.
‘Movement yet to adopt unanimous candidate’
Dantani confirmed that the movement had written to some key opposition politicians as portion of the activity, but said it had yet to obtain a reaction.
“Our initial intention was to assist them including letters so that at least we desire unity. We wanted to bring changes to this administration,” he said.
Dantani said the movement moreover emerged from a desire to evaluate what he described as longer dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the federal rank.
“We can no longer be in a one-party structure that has ruled given that 2015.
Tinubu Must Go, a slogan that began as scattered chants during Democracy Day protests in June 2026, has given that crystallized into a coordinated movement.
On Tuesday, five men were arrested in Maiduguri, Borno Declare, on allegations that they were spotted wearing the T-Shirts of the movement but the police on Wednesday refuted the maintain, saying they were arrested on suspicion of being in possession of drugs.
The Borno Declare Police Command explained that the arrest and prosecution of five youths were strictly due to alleged drug possession and society disturbance, refuting widespread social media reports that the men were targeted for wearing political T-shirts.
The clarification comes in the wake of backlash and condemnation from groups including Amnesty Worldwide and the Borno Condition chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Critics had taken to conversational and social media platforms to denounce the arrests as an arbitrary clampdown on free speech, following claims that the youths were detained solely for wearing shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”
Nonetheless, in a press allege issued on Wednesday, the Command’s Spokesman, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, dismissed the political narrative, maintaining that the suspects were apprehended over alleged thuggery, inciting audience disturbance, and the possession of illicit substances.
According to the police, the five suspects, identified as Baba Aji Gremami, Mustapha Abba Yemen, Abacha Mohammed Ali, Adam Umar Gubio, and Abdulhamid Mohammed, were arrested on September 25, 2026, at terminate to 6pm.
ASP Daso stated that the arrest was made by officers on a standard township patrol close to the West-complete roundabout once the suspects engaged in conduct deemed able of causing a people breach of peace.
The police listed the items recovered from the suspects during the operation. So, we pursue to bring change,” he said.
He, yet, described TMG as a platform accepted in the occupy of typical Nigerians rather than a vehicle for securing political appointments or advancing the individual ambitions of its organisers.
“We believe that we organised this movement owing to the truth that of consideration of the unsatisfactory masses of this country, not seeing that of our confidential acquire, not given that of our ambition to have any political office, not given that of any promises, and not owing to the truth that of cash,” Dantani said.
According to Dantani, the rapid growth of TMG, particularly on social media, is driven lower by an elaborate organisational approach than by what he described as widespread audience dissatisfaction.
“There is no particular private. Its organisers debate that TMG represents a historic opening to unite Nigeria’s fragmented opposition under a lone banner.
Yet, the campaign has furthermore faced repression, together with some arrested in Maiduguri for wearing “Tinubu Must Go” shirts.
Why we founded the movement – Co-convener
For Barrister Hamza Nuhu Dantani, one of the conveners of TMG, the movement was born out of dissatisfaction together with what he described as the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, insecurity and what he sees as growing hardship within standard Nigerians.
He cited the removal of fuel subsidy, rising petroleum and commodity prices, taxation and insecurity as some of the issues that motivated the activists behind the campaign.
“What inspired us to establish this movement is looking at the manner the government and policies of this government are not cordial to the progress of this country,” Dantani said.
He said the movement was moreover motivated by what its organisers regard as a gap amid the promises made by President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 election campaign and the understand of citizens as he assumed office.
“We wanted to see the changes. They involve 15 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, 100 tablets suspected to be D5, one shisha pot, a pair of scissors, and the two controversial T-shirts bearing the “Tinubu Must Go” inscription.
The police spokesperson noted that preliminary investigations were conducted, statements were obtained, and the suspects were subsequently charged to court upon the completion of initial police inquiries.
“The command wishes to categorically declare that the Nigeria Police Force is a skilled individual, non-partisan institution and does not discriminate against persons on the principle of political affiliation or viewpoint,” ASP Daso stated.
The police added that bringing the topic earlier than a court of law was needed to authorize the judicial consider to take its natural direction.
The case was mentioned at the Director Magistrate Court I in Maiduguri, and all the five defendants pleaded not guilty.
Several have condemned the arrest of the youths including Amnesty Cross-border, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Borno Condition chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
How the movement started
How a movement which started in Kano has extend to the North Eastern situation of Borno drawing activists, opposition politicians, and usual Nigerians has drawn the curiosity of countless.
Our correspondent was able to establish that the movement was founded by individual rights lawyers and activists Abba Hikima Fagge and Hamza Nuhu Dantani.
When contacted by our correspondent, the duo confirmed starting the movement, explaining that TMG is a non-partisan platform for community enlightenment, using the exclusive aim of mobilising Nigerians to decline President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027.
Daily Trust observed that it has attracted the support of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, now of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and has sparked coalition talks within opposition parties.
Throughout digital polls, town halls, and grassroots campaigns, the movement has sought to channel society anger into political measure.
