Banning Twitter completely is a barely concealed attempt by the government to stifle voices of criticism, and Nigerians have good reason to be worried.

But the power of Big Tech to make arbitrary decisions about who gets to say what, when and how, is equally troubling.

It raises questions about policing speech and censoring unpopular voices, amid the need for open public debate in a free democratic society.

If it was authoritarian for the Nigerian government to ban the use of Twitter, it was even more problematic for an American swivelling in a chair in Silicon Valley to poke their finger into the internal affairs of a sovereign African state

That in my mind is the main crux of the matter.

Also, let's be honest. Twitter is a great platform. But at the end of the day, it is hardly a bastion of free speech. As is our government.

chumexhafna:
how

cattle president is in town
paid influencers coming out of the wood work


the most useless govt in the history of Nigeria

hrykanu231:


I stopped reading somewhere up there. How can you be contradicting yourself in one small piece? You stated earlier that he violated the TC of the company and as such his tweet was deleted. In another breathe you are claiming it is an "official communication", so f''king what?
He defaulted and as such, his tweet, not his account was deleted.

The babe who wrote that article smoked one weed before starting. That's why I laugh at these IPOB people. Igbos are so confused, that one of their brother would do A, the other would do B

mcbreeze:
BBC is evil, nothing but evil.
Would they allow Boris Johnson to threaten them like that. Scotland got referendum but nobody threatening them or killed them.

You wan to compare the scots with Igbos?
Maybe you should visit Glasgow then visit Aba then you will know the difference

Mynd44:

And you think Buhari is the one to review the constitution? Have you sat down to think of the fact that only one body can actually kickstart the process of a referendum and that is NASS. Guess what? The NASS members of Igbo descent have never taken such steps, never spoken about it there either.

Abaribe and Ekweremadu are senior NASS members, Abaribe who doubles and Kanu's senator and surety is minority leader has done nothing.

When in 2018 I said IPOB should become a political party and sponsor people to NASS, I was mocked. Keep attacking the executive which is powerless to help and eat with NASS who has all the powers

And you called Abaribe iberibe just to push your native for Igbo hate!

I don't know what your day job is, neither do I care. But I know for sure you are not fit to lace his shoes.

You can ban me for 6yrs for calling out the wife of a dictator, I don't care!


Modified:

I see you modified your comments.
You may not be as bad they say you are afterall

.

Sanchez01:

No. Obama's administration never liked Jonathan for many reasons. Which was the US blocked several arms deals and Nigeria under Jonathan adopted some black market deals using Oritsejafor's private to move heavy sums to buy weapons.

Buhari's campaign strategists were the same people who worked as strategists under Obama. Unfounded claims suggest Obama provided them but there was denying Tinubu paid them. The pressure pushed Jonathan to hire democrat strategists but it was easier to lose at the point as the US government were clearly partisan. There are so many 2015 political journals online that detail the whole thing.

You still haven't showed me how Obama forced Northerners to massively vote for their brother Buhari though. And could you please explain how "Buhari's campaign strategists were the same people who worked
as strategists under Obama"? This is new to me. Could you expatiate on this? Like, the names of these Obama campaign strategists that worked for Buhari?

uptownmusic:

Stop talking about forgiving terrorists in every thread, be objective, I have nothing to gain if Nigeria goes up in flames, maybe you do, but I don't. Follow the topic please.

Why shouldn't I talk about that?

Is that not reality?

Nonsense article.

Sanchez01:

Jonathan was removed through the help of America, specifically Obama. The APC and Buhari won on the back of social media because the relic was presented as a refurbished democrat.

Social media platforms are not strong or powerful as people assume. Crowwe is a social media platform, isn't it? How powerful is it? Why is not seen as a threat to Nigeria? That is because humans give it power! Crowwe, today, is worthless that I doubt it has 500 daily visitors. And this is a government-sponsored social medium o.

And just because a despot as Buhari got its Tweet removed does not mean Jack has power. Nigerians do. They reported it enmasse and it was removed. Trump used social media to rile up his followers until they got violent and attacked the capitol. It wasn't until he got banned that questions started flying around.

Politicians should be accountable and sensible in the way they talk and address their people. Using a platform to cause chaos and turn people against themselves is a greater threat than natural disasters.

The same social media that BMCs, the APC and Lai are crying over today was instrumental to their win. The government only wants less of Fulani Herdsmen reportage and almost everyone can get the story out through social media without having to write a media house. If Nigerians were treated fairly and equally, and Buhari was true to his campaign promises, most Nigerians won't be bitter and feel excluded as they are now.

Election is coming. The APC will need Twitter again.

GEJ lost not because America, but because he lost the Middle Belt. And because key state branches of his party, especially in Kwara, Kogi, Benue and Nassarawa were divided.Then there was the division in the PDP overall.

He also lost states he had no business losing. Benue is a good example (though that was because the election there was a referendum on Suswam, not about buhari vs GEJ),Kwara and Kogi.

And as far as I recall, GEJ supporters used social media well well well...facebook twitter, nairaland.

And because PDP was not doing well in security,(remember the North was being bombed to hell and back, and then there were those GEJ supporters who put the blame of the bombings on Northerners squarely...yeah, like that would win voters long term) economy(widewspread poverty despite the oil boom), etc. Not that APC is doing well either. But APC wins because their large northern support base , who would keep on voting bubu despite the very obvious mess , and because Middle Belters and Southerners are still divided over a host of issues.

.

seunmsg:


There is nothing in this BBC piece that we have not thoroughly highlighted here when the issue first came up. I’m glad that foreign media platforms are now saying exactly the same thing. I agree with most of the points raised by the writer even though I disagree with the accusation that government have locked up most people criticizing the administration.

You disagree?

Mynd44:

Who told you such tweets have not been reported? Twitter has refused to take actions on them.

Before the suspension, a lot of Kanu's tweets were reported. Twitter replied saying the tweets wearing against their rules. Note that twitter itself replied people
After the suspension, twitter removed the tweets. During endsars, numerous handles encourahed burning properties and looting, twitter ignored, looked away and you think ay sane government will ignore?

Honestly, this sounds like a Conspiracy.
I have seen Kanu's tweet threatening Nigerian police removed by Twitter. I can guess he was privately warned because he stopped tweeting such.

The end sars issue, I did saw loud tweets but such violence depicted here I did not see.

It's absorb to think a giant social media that did not hesitate to ban Trump and millions of his American followers will be afraid to handle some fanatic groups.

Let's not defend Buhari's hate speech and violence, he shocked the world with such absorbed message.

What you see as violation is not what twitter see as one. I can point out many threads on Nairaland that openly insult Igbo people which I am sure must have been visible to management and yet ignored.

Newton85:
You still haven't showed me how Obama forced Northerners to massively vote for their brother Buhari though. And could you please explain how "Buhari's campaign strategists were the same people who worked
as strategists under Obama"? This is new to me. Could you expatiate on this? Like, the names of these Obama campaign strategists that worked for Buhari?

David Axelrod, Obama's chief elections guru did do some consulting for APC too in the run up to 2015.

.

don4real18:

You disagree?

I totally disagree. Mention five people that have been locked up for criticizing the government.

naptu2:

Mr Buhari's administration has shown little respect for the rule of law and freedom of speech, with a number of journalists and activists locked up simply for criticising the government.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58175708.amp

Above is part of the story submitted to BBC. Is it that BBC do not have editors? Which journalist or activist was locked up by FGjust for simply criticizing FG? BBC and Adaobi should tell us

Beancounter94:


David Axelrod, Obama's chief elections guru did do some consulting for APC too in the run up to 2015.

Really? What kind of consulting? In what capacity, please? Any reputable link or source to back up this claim?

Gandollaar:
And you called Abaribe iberibe just to push your native for Igbo hate!

I don't know what your day job is, neither do I care. But I know for sure you are not fit to lace his shoes.

You can ban me for 6yrs for calling out the wife of a dictator, I don't care!


Modified:

I see you modified your comments.
You may not be as bad they say you are afterall

I didn't insult Senator Abaribe. It was auto correct and I corrected it immediately I noticed it, but pray tell, insulting Abaribe is a depiction of hatred for his tribe and not he himself?

Weird thinking but okay

BTW, Twitter deleted the tweets of their own president Trump and even branded some of his tweets as fake news.

Is Buhari more powerful than Trump.?

The only difference is the strength of their democracies.

Newton85:
You still haven't showed me how Obama forced Northerners to massively vote for their brother Buhari though. And could you please explain how "Buhari's campaign strategists were the same people who worked
as strategists under Obama"? This is new to me. Could you expatiate on this? Like, the names of these Obama campaign strategists that worked for Buhari?

https://thewhistler.ng/obamas-govt-sponsored-buharis-2015-election-foreign-military-contractor-claims/
https://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/nigeria-presidential-election-goodluck-jonathan-muhammadu-buhari-115190
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/155340-nigeria2015-apc-engages-obamas-u-s-consultants.html
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/410285-how-tinubu-raised-funds-for-buharis-2015-election-babachir-lawal.html
https://authorityngr.com/2020/01/07/how-obama-sponsored-buhari-in-2015-military-contractor/
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/facts-versus-fiction-obama-worked-jonathan-2015-omokri/
https://www.channelstv.com/2018/11/20/jonathan-accuses-obama-of-working-for-his-defeat-in-2015/
https://thewillnigeria.com/news/my-transition-hours-obama-worked-against-my-re-election-jonathan-reveals/

Ideally, I shouldn't dignify you with a response as I know where you are coming from already but ask how many times Buhari had contested yet failed to win the entire North before 2015.

Ournolly:

Honestly, this sounds like a Conspiracy.
I have seen Kanu's tweet threatening Nigerian police removed by Twitter. I can guess he was privately warned because he stopped tweeting such.

The end sars issue, I did saw loud tweets but such violence depicted here I did not see.

It's absorb to thinking a giant social media that did not hesitate to ban Trump and millions of his American followers will be afraid to handle some fanatic groups.

Let's not defend Buhari's hate speech and violence, he shocked the world with such absorbed message.

What you see as violation is not what twitter see as one. I can point out many threads on Nairaland that openly insult Igbo people which I am sure must have been visible to management and yet ignored.

Don't mind these ones. When you tweet something reckless on Twitter and it gets reported, regardless of who you are, it gets deleted. Nnamdi Kanu's tweets have many times been deleted on Twitter. But fools supporting this administration wouldn't want to grasp that

mcbreeze:
BBC is evil, nothing but evil.
Would they allow Boris Johnson to threaten them like that. Scotland got referendum but nobody threatening them or killed them.

Go and read how Scotland got referendum. The president didn't just wake up one morning and declare referendum, rather the Scottish Parliament debated the issue and moved a motion for referendum. The motion for referendum was approved by the majority and that's how they got it.

One president can't wake up anywhere in the world and declare referendum without lawmakers.

Tell your lawmakers to make the move

CSTRR:
BTW, Twitter deleted the tweets of their own president Trump and even branded some of his tweets as fake news.

Is Buhari more powerful than Trump.?

The only difference is the strength of their democracies.

Very true. Why didn't BBC say anything to Twitter then? They didn't just delete his tweet; they suspended the president. If such happens in naija, Twitter will just die immediately. We are not practicing a democracy

RevolverOcelot:
Just get a VPN

For what?
I know its human nature that people get pulled to things that are banned or illegal.... but when you endanger yourself because you just dont want to agree with your government.....then dont call on the same government if things go wrong
Na only twitter dey?......na people like you dey give them false impression .....we can do without twitter if they want to sit down in silicon valley and dictate affairs of a sovereign country

Nonsense

Ournolly:

Honestly, this sounds like a Conspiracy.
I have seen Kanu's tweet threatening Nigerian police removed by Twitter. I can guess he was privately warned because he stopped tweeting such.

The end sars issue, I did saw loud tweets but such violence depicted here I did not see.

It's absorb to thinking a giant social media that did not hesitate to ban Trump and millions of his American followers will be afraid to handle some fanatic groups.

Let's not defend Buhari's hate speech and violence, he shocked the world with such absorbed message.

What you see as violation is not what twitter see as one. I can point out many threads on Nairaland that openly insult Igbo people which I am sure must have been visible to management and yet ignored.

There you have it

Wats dis 1 saying

Mynd44:


There you have it

There is no way those tweets are not deleted and users warned, no way!

Mynd44:
People think the Nigerian government is mad. But then again, twitter has showed that it does not intend to change. Tweets like this is why twitter was banned not because they deleted a tweet.

I dare anyone of you to say this about the US government and see what will happen

oga i have gone through that tweet over and over again i did not see anything wrong, he said when war broke out, we are already at war if you don't know, when a government will mobilise it's machinery to start killing it citizens in a particular region and roll out amnesty programmes for the other group.

Newton85:
Really? What kind of consulting? In what capacity, please? Any reputable link or source to back up this claim?

Per Buzzfeed...from early 2015.

The political consulting firm founded by former Obama message guru David Axelrod was working for the challenger to the Nigerian president as recently as this winter, a spokesman for the firm confirmed on Friday.

AKPD Message and Media said in August that it had stopped working with All Progressives Congress (APC) — the party of former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari who is challenging current president Goodluck Jonathan in elections next week — in March. AKPD partner Isaac Baker confirmed to BuzzFeed News on Friday that the firm worked for APC again for a period beginning in December 2014

I'm surprised you did not know. It was widely reported at the time. Tho it does not mean Obama sent him mind.

louqas:


For what?
I know its human nature that people get pulled to things that are banned or illegal.... but when you endanger yourself because you just dont want to agree with your government.....then dont call on the same government if things go wrong
Na only twitter dey?......na people like you dey give them false impression .....we can do without twitter if they want to sit down in silicon valley and dictate affairs of a sovereign country

Nonsense

Lmao. Zoombies like you dey use VPN enter Twitter space too. Many government officials dey enter too but out of fear, didn't tweet. It's how you think using VPN would harm me in any way that's so laughable. You and your father Lie Mohammed no just wan get sense

mcbreeze:
BBC is evil, nothing but evil.
Would they allow Boris Johnson to threaten them like that. Scotland got referendum but nobody threatening them or killed them.

It took the SNP nearly 80 years after it was founded to get the referendum it wanted...and it only got that by allying with the Labor party.