A lawsuit has been filed against the President of Nigeria, Muhammed Buhari, at the Federal High Court (Lagos) by a Nigerian rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
The lawsuit has been brought to court after the government of Nigeria did not make a copy of its recently signed agreement with Twitter. According to the agreement, Twitter has agreed to open a local office and to work in harmony with the federal government to develop a code of conduct.
The rights group has joined the country’s minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed as a respondent in the lawsuit.
The federal government had suspended the services of Twitter in the country for an indefinite period of time on June 4, 2021. The services of Twitter were suspended after the removal of President Muhammed Buhari’s tweet, which was in violation of the rules of service.
The tweet posted by the President referred to the 1967 Nigerian Civil War and also suggested that it might be suitable to foist violence upon regional secessionist groups.
As a result, SERAP filed a lawsuit against the ban on the social media giant and made an allegation that the ban was in violation of the human rights of the citizens. The Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States will decide on whether to go ahead and make a ruling on this issue this week.
The Nigerian government had lifted the ban this month after the government signed an agreement with Twitter. The federal government said that Twitter had agreed to “act with a respectful acknowledgement of Nigerian laws and the national culture and history on which such legislation has been built”.
The rights group has argued in the lawsuit against the President and the Minister of information and culture that granting their application is in the public interest.
Publishing the agreement would enable the Nigerians to read, understand and interpret it, seek legal remedies as deemed fit, and ensure that the conditions for lifting the suspension of Twitter are not used for suppressing legitimate discourse.
Also, making the agreement with Twitter public on social media would promote transparency and help to dwindle the threats to the Nigerians’ rights online and any interference with freedom of expression and online privacy of the people.
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