The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project threatens to revoke the licenses of the country's broadcasters and demands that the president, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), and the National Broadcasting Commission shut down their coverage. filed a lawsuit. 2023 general election.
Information and Culture Minister Rai Mohammed joined the case as a defendant.
NBC last week reportedly issued sanctions and 16 “final warnings” to 25 broadcasters for violating provisions of the Nigerian Broadcasting Act during the February 25, 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections. I'm here.
However, in case number FHC/L/CS/469/2023, filed last Friday in the Federal Superior Court of Lagos, SERAP accused NBC of licensing some stations and threatening to shut down others. It asks the court to determine whether the broadcasting codes used for Freedom of expression, access to information, freedom of the media.
The lawsuit was filed by attorneys on behalf of SERAP.
Kolawole Oluwadare, Adelanke Aremo and Valentina Adegoke.
In the suit, SERAP is asking the court for “a declaration that the sanctioning of some broadcast stations and threat by the NBC to revoke the licences and shut down other stations for their lawful coverage of the general elections is unconstitutional and unlawful, as it violates freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom.
SERAP is seeking “an order of interim injunction restraining President Buhari, NBC and Mr Mohammed from threatening and sanctioning broadcast stations in the country simply for carrying out their constitutional duties, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed contemporaneously in this suit.
In the suit, SERAP is arguing that:
“It is a travesty of justice to punish and threaten broadcast stations seeking to promote election integrity and citizens' engagement and participation while allowing perpetrators of electoral violence and grave human rights violations escape accountability for their alleged crimes.
“Rather than promptly investigating allegations of election-related violence and other infractions of the Electoral Act and the Nigerian Constitution, and going after suspected perpetrators, the Nigerian government is scapegoating the media by targeting and punishing broadcast stations.
“The use of NBC Act and Code, in this case, would open the door to arbitrariness and fundamentally restrict freedom of expression that is an integral part of the public order protected by the Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party.”
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.