NASS members dare Buhari, urging Nigerians to ignore #TwitterBan

Some members of the National Assembly have continued to challenge the #TwitterBan by the Nigerian government, questioning the legality of the threat by the Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN.

The Joint Minority Caucus of the two chambers of the National Assembly – the Senate and the House of Representatives – had in a communique after a meeting in Abuja on the #TwitterBan by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, condemned the indefinite suspension as draconian and unacceptable.

In a joint communique signed by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Minority Leader of the Senate; and Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; the Joint Minority Caucus questioned the threats by the APC government to arrest and prosecute Nigerians using Twitter. They encouraged Nigerians to continue the use of Twitter, arguing that people  would not be contravening any law in Nigeria or any international statute for using Twitter.

The Joint Minority Caucus controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) acknowledged the provisions of Articles 19 and 20 of the United Nations Charter on Fundamental Human Rights, which Nigeria is a signatory to, as well as provisions of Sections 39 and 36 (12) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), arguing that by these provisions, no one will be violating any law for using Twitter in Nigeria.

The Joint Caucus expressed pains over the anguish Nigerians, especially, the youths, using Twitter as a means of livelihood and genuine social interaction, are passing through because the APC government feels slighted that an individual’s post was deleted by Twitter for ethical violation.

The Joint Caucus, thereafter, encouraged Nigerians to use various opportunities offered by technology and continue making use of Twitter since such does not violate any law in the country.

The statement read in part: “It is agonizing that Nigeria and Nigerians have been losing billions of naira on a daily basis since the ban on Twitter. This is completely unacceptable as it is worsening the already biting economic hardship and frightening unemployment level in the country.

“Moreover, the ban on Twitter in Nigeria appears to be in favour of criminal and terrorist elements, whose activities fester in an environment of suppressed information flow.

“The Joint Minority Caucus sympathizes with the organized private sector, manufacturing and service providing companies, small and medium enterprises, online business owners and other hard working entrepreneurs across the country, whose genuine business and means of livelihood have been crippled by the unwarranted ban on Twitter by the APC federal government.”

The federal lawmakers expressed solidarity with students, research organizations, media houses, civil society, faith-based organizations, community groups, among others, whose information-based activities have been violently disrupted by the #TwitterBan.

The Joint Caucus also identified with regional, states, local government as well as the international community, whose genuine and constructive activities have been obstructed by the indefinite suspension of twitter in the country by the Buhari administration.

The federal lawmakers chided the APC  government for failure to improve the economic and security crises in the nation; and turned to dissipate energy on intimidating and punishing Nigerians over the government’s disagreement with Twitter for deleting a post by an individual, in this case, President Buhari.