For expressing and sustaining views perceived as subversive against the Nigerian State, the Department of State Services (DSS) on Friday invited the founder of Baze University, and Labour Party (LP) Vice Presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, for questioning.
Reliable sources within the security circles hinted that the invitation is against the backdrop of growing concerns over Baba-Ahmed’s recent public remarks on various media platforms, especially as they affect his claims of an existing “constitutional crisis” in the country
Offering further insight into the invitation extended to the LP Chieftain, Security insiders said, “A few days ago, Baba-Ahmed was on national television, blaming the judiciary and the military for allowing the swearing-in of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashmir Shettima. He even went to the length of inciting the military that it was President Tinubu’s swearing-in that made it possible for them to look you in the face and call you ‘bloody fools.’
“His inflammatory comments carry undertones that could heighten national tension, particularly given the sensitivity of Nigeria’s current political climate. It is also disturbing, given how similar narratives have contributed to instability in countries like Guinea-Bissau, among others.
“I believe the secret police is treating his comments with caution. It has nothing to do with politics, but the corporate existence of our nation could be threatened if such rhetoric is allowed to fester”.
“The complacency by the judiciary and military in not stopping the inauguration of President Tinubu’s administration, as he was quoted, leaves much to be desired”, the source said.
It was also gathered that Datti-Ahmed’s invitation by the nation’s Secret Police aligns with established protocols, especially because his description of efforts to improve the nation’s security as a “joke” could agitate public sentiment, weaken trust in state institutions.
According to the sources, “These sessions are not punitive; they are preventive, focused on clarifying intent, contextualising the remarks, and preventing the emergence of narratives that could unintentionally fuel unrest”.
