SERAP sues Tinubu ban on 25 journalists from Presidential Villa

SERAP sues Tinubu ban on 25 journalists from Presidential Villa

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued President Bola Tinubu over the withdrawal of the accreditations of 25 journalists, including a Vanguard correspondent and media houses from covering events at the Presidential Villa.
This is after the expiration of a 48-hour ultimatum issued by SERAP to the FG to reverse the the ban.
SERAP asked the President to publicly instruct the officials at the Presidential Villa to allow journalists and media houses to freely do their job and discharge their constitutional duty of holding those in power to account.

The Federal Government on 18 August 2023 withdrew the accreditation tags of the 25 journalists and media houses from covering activities at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The affected journalists were said to have been told at the main gate of the Presidential Villa to submit their accreditation tags.

The banned journalists reportedly include those from Vanguard newspaper; Galaxy TV; Ben TV; MITV; ITV Abuja; PromptNews, ONTV, and Liberty.

Other media personnel affected by the withdrawal are mostly reporters and cameramen from broadcast, print, and online media outlets.

In the suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, Kolawole Oluwadare, and Ms Valentina Adegoke, on Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is seeking “an order to direct and compel President Tinubu to reverse the revocation of the accreditations and ban on 25 journalists and media houses from covering the Presidential Villa.
“An order of perpetual injunction to restrain President Tinubu or any other authority, person or group of persons from arbitrarily and unilaterally revoking the accreditations of any journalists and media houses from covering the Presidential Villa.”
SERAP is also seeking “a declaration that the withdrawal and revocation of accreditation tags and ban on the journalists and media houses from covering the Presidential Villa without any lawful justifications is inconsistent with the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, participation, and media freedom.”

SERAP sues Tinubu ban on 25 journalists from Presidential Villa