Gagging of media obnoxious, anti -democratic, PDP tells Buhari
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has castigated President Muhammadu Buhari over measure by his government to suppress freedom of the press and gagging of online media.
The party rejected entirely moves by the All Progressives Congress (APC) government to subjugate Nigerians and curtail their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression.
The PDP 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, anti-democratic and a direct violation of statutory rules governing media practice and freedom of expression” in Nigeria.
The party’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Sunday said that PDP also rejects the presidential declaration of political comments as class A offence.
It insisted 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 our nation.”
Accordingly, the party said that such move amounts to an attempt to amend the constitution to take away the rights of citizens and undermine democratic institutions which has the capacity to destabilize the nation.
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The PDP invited Nigerians to note that this dictatorial pathway 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.
“Nigerians are already apprehensive that the directive is geared towards clearing the ground for the introduction of certain harsh policies in our country.
“The party insists that our 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 therefore, calls on the members of the National Assembly, as the representatives of the people, to reject this Presidential directive in the interest of our nation,” the party asserted.
The party cautioned President Buhari and his advisers not to derail the nation with such undemocratic policies.
