The APC government led by President Muhammadu Buhari in the build up to the 2015 presidential elections faced a very stiff campaign from the PDP and other parties as it relates to media clamp down which was the norm during the Military tenure of the President. This led to the promulgation of the famous Decree 4 that was used to gag the press.
The APC in response to these accusations promised Nigerians of press freedom under the “born-again” Muhammadu Buhari. However, succeeding events since 2015 till date has cast aspersions on the “born-again” status of the president and his party.
On April 27, 2015, few weeks after the Presidential election. He placed a ban on AIT and NTA from covering his activities as president-elect because the stations were not fair to him as an aspirant. This decision was roundly condemned by Nigerians and was eventually rescinded due to public pressure. The APC through its spokesman, Lai Mohammed promised that the administration won’t gag the press. Two years after, its left to Nigerians to judge if the promise has been kept.
On April 2017, the Chief Security Officer to President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Abubakar expelled Olalekan Adetayo Punch Newspapers state house correspondent from the villa for writing stories against the government, he was later reinstated after intense public pressure.
Moving further, in July 2017, the Kaduna State NUJ accused governor Nasir El-Rufai of persecuting its members in the state. This was as a result of the arrest and detention of a journalist, Luka Binniyat, by the state government for writing “false” stories on Fulani herdsmen attack.
Also in July 2017, the Osun government indefinitely suspended two staff members of the state owned Osun State Broadcasting Corporation for supporting Senator Ademola Adeleke in the Osun west senatorial rerun and for calling the Governor unprintable names in a Whatsapp Group.
In August 2017, the federal government through the National Broadcasting Commission issued a new draconian broadcasting code for media houses, which is synonymous with the famous Decree 4 of 1984. The code will start functioning by October 2017. Despite protest by Nigerians, the government hasn’t stepped it down.
The latest of such anti-press decision was the September 17, 2017, ban of two journalists by the Imo state Governor for writing anti-government stories.
These and many more not written has shown the APC government as one with little or no tolerance for the press which contravened their promise to respect press freedom.
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