Twitter ban: PDP seeks visa ban on Buhari, Malami, others

By Gbade Ogunwale, AbujaThe Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Saudi Arabia and other members of the international community to immediately impose visa ban on President Muhammadu Buhari for stifling free speech in Nigeria.The party said the visa ban should be extended to the Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, Information Minister, Lai Mohammed and certain leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).Reacting to the ban placed on Twitter operations by the Federal Government, the PDP, in a statement on Wednesday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the ban violated United Nations International Charter on Human Rights.The party insisted that banning Twitter in Nigeria is a clear violation of Article 19 of the UN Charter, as well as Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guaranteed freedom of expression for all Nigerians.Accusing the Buhari administration of harassing and threatening Nigerians with violence, the party said the ban should also be extended to family members of the targeted officials.Read Also:Trump backs Nigeria on Twitter banThe statement said: For the avoidance of doubt, Article 19 of the UN Charter on Human Rights provides that Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinion without interference and to seek, receive and impact information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.In the same vein, Section 39 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.Our party holds that the trio of President Buhari, Lai Mohammed and Abubakar Malami and their agents cannot continue to enjoy diplomatic privileges and rights extended by virtue of their offices in Nigeria, while at the same time blatantly flouting the UN Charter, which Nigeria is a signatory to, as well as the 1999 Constitution (as amended) upon which provisions they hold office.This is more so as the stifling of information flow as being witnessed in the ban on Twitter further creates an enabling environment for abuse of human rights and acts of terrorism in our countryThe PDP also called on the international community to hold the trio of President Buhari, Lai Mohammed and Malami responsible for the escalated abuse of human rights, constitutional violations as well as the situations that embolden terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and vandals in the country.Furthermore, our party has commenced the compilation of list of APC leaders involved in the infringing on the rights of Nigerians for onward transmission to the UN and other world bodies for sanctions.
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