A retired Major General of the Nigerian Army and prominent Northern elder, Haruna Garba Gololo, popularly known as Garus Gololo, has reportedly been arrested at Grand Square Supermarket in Abuja following remarks he made against the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, over comments linked to the 2027 presidential election.
Gololo, a retired senior officer in the Nigerian Army who held several strategic positions before retiring with the rank of Major General, has in recent years become known for his outspoken political commentary and strong positions on national issues affecting Northern Nigeria and the country at large.
According to sources familiar with the development, the retired General was allegedly picked up for questioning after a video surfaced online in which he launched a scathing attack on Akpabio over statements suggesting that President Bola Tinubu would return in 2027 “whether Northerners like it or not.”
The remarks by Akpabio reportedly stirred outrage among some Northern political stakeholders, with Gololo emerging as one of the most vocal critics of the Senate President.
In the now-viral video, Gololo accused Akpabio of disrespecting Northern Nigerians despite, according to him, the role Northerners played in supporting the current political leadership.
“Okay, good afternoon my fellow Nigerians, once again. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, we heard your message,” Gololo said in the video.
“You say, oh, the Northern vote of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, or they didn’t vote that is coming back. No problem.
“What is your vote, the last election? Do you win? You don’t win anything. Do you bring any vote from Akwa Ibom? You don’t bring any vote.
“You only bring yourself. And the Northerners, they are the ones who put you as a Senate President. Today, you are telling us whether we like it or not.”
The retired General further stated that Northerners had the constitutional right to decide who they would support in future elections, insisting that no politician could dictate to citizens how to vote.
“You said, whether we vote Tinubu or we don’t vote Tinubu, Tinubu is coming back, and unless you leave the country, you are the one who is going to leave the country,” he said while reacting to Akpabio’s alleged remarks.
“We are Nigerians, we are citizens. Who are you? The Northerners, the same Northerners, they give you a minister.”
Gololo also made allegations regarding corruption cases linked to Akpabio, claiming the Senate President had pending matters with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“When you are a criminal, you have your charges in the EFCC, in the Akwa Ibom money, and then when they give you a Niger Delta, it’s a shame for you even to be a Senate President,” he said.
“It’s a shame of Akpabio. Shame of you. Somebody who was a criminal, who was prosecuted by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo. We have the whole evidence. You are telling us nonsense.”
The retired General did not stop there, describing Akpabio as “the worst Senate President” and “the most corrupt Senate President.”
“Senate President. The worst Senate President. The most corrupt Senate President. The condemned Senate President. The unuseful Senate President,” he said angrily in the video.
“They don’t even organize you as a Senate President. They organize you as nothing. But you don’t know how to talk.”
Gololo also referenced previous controversies involving Akpabio, including public outrage that followed comments attributed to the Senate President during nationwide hardship protests.
“Last time, children are dying in the protest, what was your comment? You said you are here eating rice and chicken. Shame of you,” he stated.
“When you are a governor and a Senate President, all, it is only a family game. It is only your wife from Imo. It’s the one using all the…”
The retired General maintained that Northern Nigerians would freely make their political choices ahead of the next election cycle.
“We are in Nigeria. We are Northerners. And we are proud to be Northerners. And we are not going to vote Tinubu,” he declared.
“To hell with you. We can’t vote him. We are voting Atiku. And you don’t even tell us to leave Nigeria.
“Try it, I don’t care who you are. Who are you to tell us whom to vote or not? You are to leave the country.
“We are not leaving Nigeria. We are citizens. Being a Senate President doesn’t make you… You can’t talk to us anyhow. Anytime you talk to us anyhow, I will talk to you anyhow.”
Gololo further stated that Akpabio had unresolved corruption allegations tied to his tenure as governor and as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
“A criminal who has two charges. You supposed to be shame of yourself,” he said.
“You have EFCC charges from the Akwa Ibom government. Where are you embezzling the money? The same thing when you are Minister of Niger Delta. You siphoned their money. Now you are telling people nonsense.”
He also questioned Akpabio’s political value during the 2023 election.
“Are you the one who made us vote Tinubu in 2023? We voted Tinubu. What vote did you bring from Akwa Ibom? What was your vote? What did you bring to Tinubu? Nonsense,” he added.
The circumstances surrounding Gololo’s alleged arrest remain unclear as of the time of filing this report, and authorities have yet to issue an official statement explaining the reasons for his detention or whether formal charges have been filed against him.
However, the development has generated widespread reactions, particularly across Northern Nigeria, where many people are questioning whether political criticism and freedom of expression are increasingly being criminalised.
Several commentators and supporters of the retired General argued that politicians and public office holders across the country are frequently subjected to criticism and harsh public remarks without arrests being made.
Some Northern stakeholders insist that respect should continue to be accorded to senior citizens and former military officers who served the country, while also urging calm and lawful conduct among supporters reacting to the development.
Others warned that suppressing dissenting political voices could deepen political divisions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Meanwhile, reactions continue to trail the incident, many Nigerians are asking whether political criticism has now become grounds for arrest whenever influential politicians are involved.
