The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Department of State Services (DSS) to drop its threat of banning X (formerly Twitter) over a post by activist Omoyele Sowore.
According to Politics Nigeria, the rights group released a statement on Sunday. It warned that restricting X would punish Nigerians collectively and trigger a broader social media crackdown.
Free Expression Protected by Law
Restricting access to X, SERAP explained, would breach the right to free expression. Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, Article 9 of the African Charter, and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee this right.
The group also reminded Tinubu that the ECOWAS Court of Justice had ruled earlier that Twitter access is a fundamental human right.
Concerns Over Social Media Crackdown
Nigerian authorities, the group stressed, must protect both online and offline media to maintain the free exchange of information between leaders and citizens.
Any restriction on social platforms, it argued, must follow the rules of legality, legitimacy, necessity, and proportionality.
The organization further recalled how the Buhari administration’s Twitter suspension was judged unlawful by the ECOWAS Court.
Court Action Threat
Pushing X to censor content, SERAP warned, would violate press freedom, privacy, and the right to information.
“If this threat is not withdrawn, we will challenge the administration in court,” the group vowed.
