First Move Against Twitter Of It’s Kind, Twitter Suspended: Nigeria Had Enough Of Interfering With Their Politics And National Security

Nigeria doesn’t care for Twitter’s censorship of their government leaders and has suspended Twitter over their censoring of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Reuters reported:

Nigeria said on Friday it had indefinitely suspended Twitter’s activities, two days after the social media giant removed a post from President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened to punish regional secessionists.

Information Minister Lai Mohammed said the government had acted because of “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence”.

Mohammed did not spell out what form the suspension would take or give more details on the undermining activities. His ministry also announced Twitter’s suspension on Twitter.

When asked about the details of the suspension, a ministerial aide told Reuters: “Wait and see how things will turn out.”

The move has taken an interest in the United States and was a trending topic on Monday. One reporter connected what happened in the United States in 2020 Presidential election and what is the fear on the minds of people in Nigeria, who is not having any of the corruption.

Nigeria watched the 2020 election and decided that it didn't want tech oligarchs installing a new government – like in America!

— Emerald Robinson ✝️ (@EmeraldRobinson) June 7, 2021

It is unclear what community guidelines of Twitter he broke or what the post is that got him censored.

“Buhari’s last tweets before he was suspended were about national security concerns:

I received a briefing today from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the series of attacks on their facilities nationwide. These attacks are totally unacceptable, and we will not allow those behind them to achieve their evil objectives.

I have assured INEC that we will make available to them everything they need to operate efficiently so that no one will say we don’t want to go or that we want a third term. There will be no excuse for failure. We will meet all of INEC’s demands.

I have assured INEC that we will make available to them everything they need to operate efficiently so that no one will say we don’t want to go or that we want a third term. There will be no excuse for failure. We will meet all of INEC’s demands.

In the area of security, we have changed the Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General, and we are demanding that they rise fully to the challenges confronting us. There must be zero tolerance for all those those bent on destroying our country by promoting crime and insurrection!” Buhari wrote.

I received a briefing today from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on the series of attacks on their facilities nationwide. These attacks are totally unacceptable, and we will not allow those behind them to achieve their evil objectives.

— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) June 1, 2021

In the area of security, we have changed the Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General, and we are demanding that they rise fully to the challenges confronting us. There must be zero tolerance for all those those bent on destroying our country by promoting crime and insurrection!

— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) June 1, 2021

NOW WHAT?

The move will be the first of it’s against in action against Twitter, causing legal discussion to start on what happens when a country shuts out Twitter.

The People’s Gazette reported:

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu said if Twitter had an office in Nigeria, resolving the current Twitter ban initiated by the Buhari regime would have been easier.

The governor made the suggestion in an interview with Arise TV on Monday.

Mr. Sanwo-Olu noted that he could not categorically say if the federal government’s action against Twitter is wrong or right because he does not have the same prognosis as the president and commander-in-chief.

“I cannot sit down here with all of the responsibilities that I have and fly (sic) the commander in chief of the armed forces. Even had (sic) a prognosis and security information that I do not have. I cannot begin to say that was it done is right or wrong,” he said.

He alluded that the government had only suspended Twitter operations in Nigeria rather than outrightly banning it. He further suggested that Twitter and the government should come together to resolve the issues rather than allow it to continue to degenerate to the detriment of the economy.

“On both sides, there are issues that can be resolved between Twitter and the Government, and I think what they’ve done is not a ban but a suspension like they said, so in the period of suspension, let us sit down.

“So in the period of suspension, let’s sit down, if we have 40 million users of micro-blogging user and they chose to take their investment to country with five million users, it speaks to the reason why we also need to have that conversation with them so that perhaps if they have an office here things would have been done along quicker and better,” he said.

Kari Donovan

Kari is an ex-Community Organizer who writes about Cultural Marxism, grassroots activism, music, IndyCar racing and political campaigns.  @Saorsa1776