PDP accuses APC of gagging the media, restricting freedom of speech

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the APC-led government of trying to restrict freedom of expression with its new directive - It should be noted that the minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, said that any broadcast station that propagate hate speech will pay N5 million fine - The opposition party therefore called on the lawmakers to resist the new directive in the interest of the country The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government is planning on restricting media, suppress Nigerians in the bid to tamper with their freedom of expression. The allegation was contained in a statement released on Sunday, October 13, by Kola Ologbondiyan, the national publicity secretary of the PDP.

The opposition party said that the recent decision as announced by the minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, is very undemocratic and a wicked one.

PDP also went ahead to say that it totally rejects the classification of political comment as Class A offence, saying that it is only a deliberate move establish dictatorship and a one-party system. “Our party alerts that such moves amount to an attempt to amend our constitution to take away the rights of citizens and undermine our democratic institutions; a development that has the capacity to destabilize our dear nation,” the statement partly read. The party also made a special call to the National Assembly lawmakers to in the interest of the populace reject the new presidential directive.