A foremost lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has said that calling on the resignation of President Mohammadu Buhari is not a crime.
The Human Right lawyer, made this remark in a statement while reacting the arrest detention and sack of Salihu Tanko Yakasai by the Kano State government for asking Buhari to resign over the high level of insecurity in the land.
Recall that country’s secret service, the Department of State Services, DSS, confirmed the arrest of Salihu, after his dismissal as an aide to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State
The Kano State Director of the secret agency had earlier denied that Salihu was in their custody.
Acccording to DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, the former governor’s aide is being investigated for issues beyond his remark.
Condemning the development, Falana said that the action of the DSS, stating that arrest and detention of Salihu can’t be justified.
In a statement titled, ‘Asking Buhari to Resign is Not An Offence’, the rights activist noted that the call for Buhari’s resignation has become very popular in the country even before Salihu added his voice to it.
He noted that even some members of the ruling party and activists have continued to call for Buhari to resign due to the deteriorating security situation across the country.
“It is on record that the APC and its leaders including General Mohammadu Buhari; National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinibu; Malam Nasir El-rufai and Alhaji Lai Mohammed repeatedly called for former President Goodluck Jonathan’s resignation between 2013 and 2014,” the statement added.
“Yet they were never subjected to any form of intimidation for exercising their freedom of expression at the material time. The call for President Buhari’s resignation is likely to continue to be made by other concerned individuals and groups over the virtual collapse of the security architecture,” he said.
He called for the unconditional release of Salihu from ‘illegal custody.’
