The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) calls on the United States, United
Kingdom, Canada, Saudi Arabia and other members of the International
Communities to immediately impose visa ban on President Muhammadu Buhari
and members of his cabinet involved in stifling free speech in Nigeria.
The PDP predicates its demand on the violation of UN international
Charter on Human Rights by President Muhammadu Buhari by banning the use
of Twitter in Nigeria.
The PDP insists 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 to all
Nigerians.
The party also urges the world bodies to also sanction the Minister of
Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the Attorney General and Minister
of Justice, Abubakar Malami as well as certain leaders of the APC for
their individual ignoble roles in the ban imposed on Twitter in addition
to associated harassments and threats to Nigerians.
The PDP urges the countries to bar President Buhari, Lai Mohammed,
Abubakar Malami and their family members from entering their territories
for any private purposes whatsoever.
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 country.
The PDP calls 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
our 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.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
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