The ban on social media platform, Twitter, has earned the Nigerian government more knocks from civil society groups.
Action Group on Free Civic Space, a coalition of over 50 civil society groups in Nigeria, has described the ban as a brazen attack on free civil space in the country.
In a statement on Saturday, the coalition expressed shock and displeasure at the government’s decision to suspend the operations of the microblogging platform.
It noted, “This worrisome action not only constitutes a gross and reprehensible attack on the freedom of expression of millions of citizens, but also portends great danger for internet freedoms and the civic space in Nigeria.”
The Executive Director, Spaces for Change, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri; Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Centre; the Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Foundation and other civil society groups signed the statement that condemned the suspension in the strongest terms.
The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, had accused Twitter of “persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.” But many Nigerians on Twitter condemned the hasty decision of the government to suspend Twitter operations, calling it nothing but a retaliation against the social media platform’s deletion and cautioning of the government against the use of hate speech and inciteful words.
“Buhari’s disposition towards civil liberties, including the current suspension, casts doubts on the claims that he is now a reformed democrat. No known democratic head of government that have been sanctioned by Twitter ever took this tyrannical route. At the height of his contestations with the mainstream and social media platforms, former United States President, Donald Trump, never suspended any social media group, let alone block their business operations in America.
“The Action Group on Free Civic Space, therefore, demands the Nigerian government to rescind this suspension to save the democratic image and credentials of Nigeria, which, at the moment, is battered by several reports of assaults on democratic freedoms well documented on the Closing Spaces Database, www.closingspaces.org,” the group stated.
It advised the government to reflect and review its language of communication to citizens to avoid a repeat of such regrettable occurrence in future, rather than embark on a vengeful mission against Twitter.
