The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has warned the Buhari administration against suffocating Nigerians and the media through the use of hefty fines, for daring to air their views, and exposing malfeasance in his government.
The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said yesterday, that the new broadcast code introduced by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC), is meant to cover up the atrocities of its failed government by suppressing free speech in the country.
The statement says, “The code is also a grand plot to suppress and muzzle Nigerians and the media from publicly opposing plots by the APC to mortgage the sovereignty of our dear nation to foreign interests as being witnessed in the anti-Nigeria clauses in the loan agreements with China.
“The APC has been jittery over the stench of monumental corruption oozing out from its government as well as its anti-Nigeria activities, and now seeks to suppress public opinion and media reportage of their atrocities against our nation.
“The PDP invites Nigerians to note that the APC administration rushed to review the broadcast codes and introduced draconian clauses at the height of public revelations and media reportage of its corruption and plots to mortgage our nation’s sovereignty to China."
The new code prescribes a fine of N5million, and according to the opposition party, is meant to intimidate the media and gag whistle blowers from further exposing alleged corruption and rights violations by the government.