Abuja, Nigeria – November 29, 2025 – The Department of State Services (DSS) has summoned Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, founder of Baze University and former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, for questioning over a series of public statements considered potentially inflammatory by security authorities.
The invitation was extended on Friday, November 28, following Baba-Ahmed’s recent appearance on national television, during which he strongly criticized the judiciary and the Nigerian military for what he described as their failure to prevent the swearing-in of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in May 2023 despite pending legal challenges to the election outcome.
In the widely circulated interview, Baba-Ahmed accused both institutions of complacency and suggested that their inaction had emboldened disrespect toward the military, stating that President Tinubu’s inauguration had made it possible for civilians to “look you in the face and call you ‘bloody fools.’” He further described ongoing national security efforts as “a joke,” remarks that security officials believe could erode public confidence in state institutions at a particularly sensitive time.
A senior security source who spoke on condition of anonymity emphasized that the invitation was not politically motivated but aimed at protecting national stability. “This has nothing to do with politics. It is about preventing rhetoric that could heighten tension or unintentionally fuel unrest,” the source said, adding that similar inflammatory narratives have contributed to instability in countries like Guinea-Bissau in the past.
The source clarified that such engagements are routine and preventive in nature, intended to clarify the intent behind public statements and ensure they do not cross into territory that threatens public order. “These are not punitive sessions. They are dialogues,” the official stressed.
Baba-Ahmed, who ran alongside Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in 2023 and helped mobilize millions of young Nigerians under the “Obidient” movement, has remained one of the most vocal critics of the Tinubu administration. He has consistently maintained that the 2023 presidential election was marred by irregularities and that the subsequent affirmation of Tinubu’s victory by the Supreme Court created a lingering constitutional crisis.
Since the election, he has used television appearances, radio interviews, and social media to sustain his criticism of governance, the judiciary, the electoral commission, and security agencies. Supporters view his outspokenness as courageous defense of democracy, while critics accuse him of refusing to accept electoral defeat and stoking division.
The timing of the summons has raised eyebrows among civil society groups and opposition figures, who see it as part of a broader pattern of using security agencies to intimidate government critics. Human rights organizations have condemned the move, arguing that robust criticism of public institutions is a cornerstone of democracy and should not be treated as a security threat.
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed suggestions of political persecution, insisting that no one is above the law and that inflammatory statements—regardless of the speaker’s status—must be addressed when they risk national peace.
As of Saturday evening, neither the DSS nor Senator Baba-Ahmed has issued an official statement confirming or denying the invitation. Sources close to the former vice-presidential candidate say he intends to honor the summons as a law-abiding citizen while continuing to speak truth to power.
The development comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s deepening economic hardship, persistent insecurity in multiple regions, and lingering bitterness over the 2023 elections—factors that continue to polarize the country two and a half years after the polls.
Political observers warn that how the DSS handles the Baba-Ahmed case could either calm tensions or further inflame an already restless opposition base as the nation gradually looks toward the 2027 general election.
