By Editor
Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has finally decided to defend Press Freedom and Free Speech which is under violent attack by the authoritarian rule of former military dictator, General Muhammadu Buhari, who now serve as the country’s President.
In a statement on Sunday, October 13, signed by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary, the party said it is rejecting moves by the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government to further gag the media, subjugate Nigerians and curtail their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression.
The party said the decision by President Buhari to impose stringent regulations on online media and broadcast organisations as recently announced by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, is completely obnoxious, antidemocratic and a direct violation of statutory rules governing media practice and freedom of expression in Nigeria.
The PDP also rejected the Presidential declaration of political comments as “Class A” offence, insisting that such is designed to undermine the nation’s constitutional democracy, exterminate the rights of citizens to dissenting public opinion, emasculate the opposition and foist a dictatorship and one party system on the country.
“Our party alerts that such moves amount to an attempt to amend our constitution to take away the rights of citizens and undermine our democratic institutions; a development that has the capacity to destabilize our dear nation,” they party stated.
The PDP said it invites Nigerians to note that this dictatorial pathways which the Buhari Presidency seeks to impose, if allowed, will herald the gradual emasculation of freedom of expression, repression of free press, infringements on the rights of citizens and foisting of siege mentality on the people.
The PDP further stated that Nigerians are already apprehensive that the directive is geared towards clearing the ground for the introduction of certain harsh policies in the country.
The party insists that the constitution has made enough provisions to guide media practice as well as the exercise of freedom of expression, adding that the foisting of unconstitutional and suppressive regulations is not acceptable under any guise.
The PDP said it therefore calls on the members of the National Assembly, as the representatives of the people, to reject this Presidential directive in the interest of the nation.
It also cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari and his advisers not to derail the nation with such antidemocratic and undemocratic policies.
