Nigeria's lifting of ban on Twitter condemned as sheer politics in the run-up to elections

MEDIA personalities and social critics have described the Nigerian government's recent decision to lift its ban on Twitter as sheer politics pointing out that the federal government only took the step because of the looming general elections next year.

 

In June last year, the Nigerian government banned the use of Twitter across the country after the platform deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari. This ban attracted widespread condemnation and in response, the Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project and 176 concerned Nigerians took the government to the Ecowas court.

 

Nigerian civil society groups condemned the ban, saying it is a breach of free speech, while the country's entertainment industry has said it will lead to the loss of thousands of jobs. Globally too, international pressure mounted on Nigeria to lift the ban with Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, saying restricting the use of social media has no place in a democratic government.

 

Yesterday, the Nigerian government finally relented and rescinded the ban but the timing of the action has attracted widespread criticism. Popular media personality, Ebuka and actor Frank Donga have both for instance condemned the action, saying the ban was only lifted in time for the election season.

 

Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, added that the lifting of the Twitter suspension was solely due to the forthcoming 2023 general elections taking place in February next year. He claimed that Nigeria lost $750m because of the Twitter ban.

 

Mr Omokri said: “$750m, in case you are wondering, that is exactly what Nigeria lost in 222 days of banning Twitter. So, if anybody is telling you that Nigeria won with the #TwitterBan, ask them to tell you what exactly Nigeria won. Nigeria lost big time!

 

“The claim that Twitter agreed to allow Buhari’s junta regulate Twitter users in Nigeria is as fakes as Buhari’s integrity. The expectation that Twitter would move from Ghana to Nigeria will never happen. Twitter did not beg. Buhari bulged because elections are here!

 

Nigeria's federal government had suspended Twitter operations in the country on June 5, 2021, about 222 days ago. Since then, the federal government established a seven-man presidential committee to engage Twitter and another 20-member technical committee comprising all relevant government agencies was established to engage directly with the Twitter team.

 

According to the government, it asked Twitter to meet some conditions before the removal of the ban and the social media company has agreed to these. Government ministers said the execution of the agreement will start this week.

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