Peter Obi, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, condemns the rising abuse of free speech in Nigeria, following recent arrests and harassment of journalists by security forces. Obi warns that suppressing press freedom threatens democracy, urging accountability and justice for affected journalists, and calling for an open, transparent society.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate for 2023, has voiced his strong condemnation of the increasing violations of free speech in Nigeria, particularly concerning the recent arrests and harassment of journalists by security operatives.
Obi's statement comes in the wake of the abduction and detention of the investigative journalist known as @PIDOMNIGERIA, which has sparked widespread concern about the erosion of press freedom in the country.
Obi emphasized that the right to free speech is fundamental to democracy, as it ensures citizens have access to information about government activities and decision-making processes. He warned that the suppression of information not related to national security by government agents poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic fabric. According to him, the Freedom of Information Bill must be urgently implemented to protect these rights.
He highlighted the crucial role that investigative journalists play in holding those in power accountable, and how their work is safeguarded under the laws that protect freedom of expression in a democratic society. However, Obi expressed alarm over the recent trend of journalists being subjected to harassment, abduction, and detention by government agents. He called the disappearance and detention of @PIDOMNIGERIA a "grave concern" and demanded that Nigerian authorities be held accountable for the journalist's whereabouts and any alleged wrongdoing.
Obi warned that if these oppressive actions continue, Nigeria risks descending into a "Banana Republic" where journalists are silenced or disappear for merely doing their jobs. He called for justice, accountability, and an immediate end to these egregious attacks on press freedom, advocating for an open society where citizens can freely express themselves and where the government is fully accountable to its people.
This, Obi stressed, is the minimum standard for the new society Nigerians desire.
