The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a non-governmental organization that focuses on promoting socio-economic rights and government accountability in Nigeria, has raised serious concerns about the advocacy for social media regulation by Mr. Dele Alake, the Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu.
During a screening session before the Senate Committee in Abuja, Mr. Alake voiced his support for strengthening laws governing social media to prevent potential abuses. However, SERAP believes that such measures could have adverse consequences on freedom of expression and citizens’ right to access information.
In response to this development, SERAP took to its social media platform to express its stance and firmly called upon President Bola Tinubu to intervene and restrain his Special Adviser’s push for social media regulation.
They emphasized the importance of upholding freedom of expression in the digital age and warned against adopting measures similar to those implemented by President Buhari’s government, which were criticized for restricting freedom of expression on social media.
SERAP made it clear that if the current government were to follow such a path of restricting social media, they would be prepared to challenge it legally. The organization reiterated its commitment to protect citizens’ rights and ensure government accountability, even if it requires taking legal action to safeguard freedom of expression on social media.
As the situation unfolds, the attention is now on President Bola Tinubu to address the concerns raised by SERAP and to reconsider the implications of advocating for social media regulation. The call for balance between curbing potential abuses and upholding fundamental rights remains a significant topic for public discourse in Nigeria and beyond.
