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The Nigerian Bar Association has Reacted to the suspension of Twitter.
The Nigerian Bar Association has Reacted to the suspension of Twitter.
NewsReport Nigeria June 5, 2021
NewsReport Nigeria reports that the Nigerian Bar Association Assoc has expressed grave worry about the Federal Government of Nigeria’s extraordinary decision to ban Twitter’s operations in Nigeria, and, by extension, Nigerians’ constitutionally given freedom to freely express themselves through that medium.
The Federal Government has asked the Nigerian Communications Commission to begin the process of licensing all OTT and social media activities in Nigeria as soon as possible, which is, at best, another veiled attempt to regulate social media, limit freedom of speech, and diminish civic space.
Whether we like it or not, we live in a constitutional democracy, which means that everything must be done in accordance with the law, and governance must be conducted within the framework of established laws and principles that limit discretionary power.
The Nigerian Bar Association finds no constitutional or legal authority to back the Federal Government’s executive order suspending Twitter’s operations in Nigeria and depriving Nigerians of their constitutionally protected freedom to freely express themselves. Beyond the damage to our constitutional democracy, the impact of arbitrary decisions like this on investor confidence is better imagined at a time when the Nigerian economy is unquestionably ailing.
As a result, if this decision is not overturned right away, the Nigerian Bar Association will have no choice but to contest it in the public interest and in the good of our democracy.
