NBA threatens to sue FG over Twitter suspension

The Nigerian Bar Association has threatened to slam a lawsuit against the Federal Government challenging the decision to suspend Twitter’s operations in Nigeria.

President of the NBA, Olumide Akpata, in a statement made via the social media platform, said the FG lacked constitutional authority to back its decision.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, in a statement on Friday, said the government was forced to act because of “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”

But Akpata described the government’s action as a “disguised attempt to regulate social media, restrict freedom of speech and shrink civic space”.

He said the government had also “suspended the right of Nigerians to freely express their constitutionally guaranteed opinions” through Twitter.

He said if the decision was not reversed, the NBA would head for court to protect the country’s democracy.

“Whether one likes it or not, we are operating a constitutional democracy, the primary consequence of which is that everything must be done according to law; government must be conducted within the framework of recognised rules and principles which restrict discretionary power,” the NBA president said.

He also said, “The NBA finds no constitutional or legal authority to support the peremptory action of the federal government to suspend the operations of Twitter in Nigeria.

“Beyond the dent on our constitutional democracy, at a time when the Nigerian economy is unarguably struggling, the impact of arbitrary decisions such as this on investor confidence is better imagined.

“Consequently, if this decision is not immediately reversed, the NBA will have no choice but to challenge same in the interest of the public and for the sake of our democracy.”