NBA threatens action over Twitter ban says it’s a disguised attempt to regulate social media

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has come down heavily on the Federal Government for suspending the operation of Twitter in Nigeria.

The body also threatened to challenge the decision in court.

In a series of tweet on Friday, the President of NBA, Olumide Akpata, noted that Nigeria is operating a democracy, which stipulates that every action of the government must be backed by the law.

Akpata said the directive to the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to begin the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria, “is another disguised attempt to regulate social media, restrict freedom of speech and shrink civic space.”

He added that 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.”

Akpata called on the government to immediately reverse the decision, or the NBA will “have no choice but to challenge same in the interest of the public and for the sake of our democracy.”