The Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, on Thursday described the hate speech bill before the Senate as draconian and an attempt to turn the country’s democracy into dictatorship.
The governor, however, asked the media in Nigeria to sustain opposition to the bill and save democracy from being threatened by such laws.
Also, a former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, has tasked the media to fight against the hate speech bill.
Tambuwal spoke at the opening of the 15th All Nigeria Guild of Editors’ Conference (ANEC) in Sokoto with the theme ‘A Distressed Media: Impact on Government, Governance and Society.’
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the governor urged the media to remain vigilant, educate and mobilise Nigerians to defend the country’s hard-earned democracy.
According to the governor, the media needs to shock Nigerians in the anti-hate speech bill that prescribes the death penalty for offenders.
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Tambuwal said, “This is quite scary and indeed sets people thinking of the true intention of those at the forefront of the bill.
“There are enough provisions in our laws to deal with people whose actions can undermine national unity and cohesion. Such draconian legislation has no place in the constitution and democracy like ours.
“The media must, therefore, remain vigilant; you have a responsibility to educate and mobilise Nigerians to defend this hard-earned democracy.
“We cannot operate democracy like a military dictatorship. The storms are gathering and we must join hands to checkmate anti-democratic elements and return our country to the path of constitutionalism, progress and development.”
Speaking further, the governor noted that the theme of the conference was apt as it came at a time when Nigeria is struggling to regain its economic balance.
“We face the challenges of dwindling resources; governments at all levels are struggling to provide essential services.
“This has restated search for creative and innovative ways to boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in order to keep afloat.
“The media is also feeling the heat of the harsh economic environment. It’s a testament to the firm resilience and creativity of the Nigerian media that remains vibrant despite the huge financial challenges it is facing.
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“I urge you not to despair, keep the faith and remain unbound. The difficult time will give way to a better time, to a better room for a prosperous future,” said the governor.
However, Osoba, the chairman on the occasion, appealed to the NGE to fight against the hate speech bill.
He said, “The social media are not part of us, so I don’t know why somebody wants to punish us for what we have not committed.
“In our constitution, there are enough provisions for us to go to court. Therefore, we should continue to fight this out and by the grace of God we will succeed”.
The acting president of Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr Mustapha Isah, expressed the guild’s opposition to any “surreptitious” move to curtail press freedom in the country.
He also said the organisation was not in support of fake and hate speech, saying “the Nigerian Guild of Editors is not in support and will never support fake news and hate speech.
“Our members are trained professionally. It is true that the social media space, like any other ecoystem, is being abused by some people.”
Isah also advised government to work with critical stakeholders in the media industry to address the challenges relating to fake news and hate speech.
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