The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has said that having lifted its unconstitutional ban on the use of Twitter in Nigeria, the move by the federal government to restrict usage by Nigerians is a further demonstration of its appetite to suppress constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens.
In a statement on Friday by House Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta), the caucus noted that the federal government had no right to impose restrictions on Twitter use by Nigerians after lifting its ban.
- After festivities, Nigerians tell tales of January hardship
- Defence Chief: Why Nigeria won’t experience coup again
The caucus informed that the freedom of speech and opinions by Nigerians, including expressing such through social media channels like Twitter are clearly guaranteed in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and cannot be subjected to partisan approval or regulation under a democratic rule.
“It was also in the light of that that the Minority Caucus in the National Assembly stood by the law and charged Nigerians to continue using Twitter, irrespective of the unconstitutional ban since they would not be contravening any known law in Nigeria or any international statute.
The minority caucus insists that instead of seeking to suppress free speech in the country, the APC government should be open to the views of Nigerians and make adjustments for the good of the country.
