Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has dissociated himself from the social media bill that had sparked widespread condemnation among Nigerians and human rights groups.
According to the president, his government will continue to protect and uphold free speech in the country.
The bill, under consideration by Nigeria's Senate and sponsored by Senator Bala Ibn Na'allah, proposes a two-year imprisonment term and/or a NGN2m fine for anyone found guilty of making false remarks on social media, specifically Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
In a statement by Garba Shehu, media and publicity senior special assistant to the president, the West African country's president has sworn to defend the constitution of Nigeria and will not lend his hand to anything that is inconsistent with the constitution.
"But he (Buhari) is not averse to lawful regulation, so long as that is done within the ambit of the constitution which he swore to uphold. The president said free speech is central to democratic societies anywhere in the world. The president explained that without free speech, elected representatives won't be able to gauge public feelings and moods about governance issues.
"As a key component of democratic principles, the president acknowledged that people in democratic societies are so emotionally attached to free speech that they would defend it with all their might,'' the senior special assistant said.
Using #NoToSocialMediaBill, Nigerians called for the total withdrawal of the bill and plans are underway to stage protests at the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Senate claims the content of the bill has been misunderstood. The president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, said the senators would not succumb to any blackmail regarding the law.
Share