Former Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar has subtely reacted to a ban on social media platform, Twitter by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
On Friday evening, the Nigerian government announced that it will be suspending all Twitter operations in Nigeria. This development is coming a day after the platform deleted a tweet and a video from the President’s official handle.
President Buhari had issued a tweet threatening genocidal violence on the South-East over its rising Insecurity. Reacting to the suspension, Atiku tweeted;
“Hopefully, this isn’t my last tweet. #smile”
Also, Nobel Prize winner, Wole Soyinka has slammed President Buhari over the Twitter ban. He said below:
“Heard the news of Buhari’s ban on Twitter an hour or so after sending off TO SHOCK AND AWE to the print media. Kindly add my total lack of surprise at this petulant gesture, unbecoming of a democratically elected president.
“If Buhari has a problem with Twitter, he is advised to sort it out between them personally, the way Donald Trump did, not rope in the right to free expression of the Nigerian citizen as collateral damage. In any case, this is a technical problem Nigerians should be able to work their way around. The field of free expression remains wide open, free of any dictatorial spasms! Wole SOYINKA”
Some Nigerian celebrities also react:
Banky W wrote: “They can’t stop kidnapping, armed robbery and terrorism… the country is as unsafe as ever… yet they can seize passports and block bank accounts of peaceful protesters. They ban cryptocurrency. They ban Twitter. Completely out of touch with the plight of young people.
“Nigerian Government bans Twitter, and announce the ban ON Twitter. You can’t make this up. Clueless.
They can't stop kidnapping, armed robbery and terrorism… the country is as unsafe as ever… yet they can seize passports and block bank accounts of peaceful protesters. They ban cryptocurrency. They ban Twitter. Completely out of touch with the plight of young people.
— Banky Wellington (@BankyW) June 4, 2021
Actress Adesua Etomi, Banky W’s wife wrote: “You announce the suspension of twitter…ON TWITTER! You can’t make this stuff up”
BBNaija Tacha:
Must we kikiki about everything??
This Twitter in Nigeria ban is not funny! Federal Government does not rate us! Because what is THIS!!!— TACHA🔱🇳🇬🇬🇭 (@Symply_Tacha) June 4, 2021
Rapper M.I Abaga wrote: “So… A full dictatorship we in abi?
Toolz said:
Using Twitter to announce the suspension of Twitter. The amount of sane people in this country can't pass 10. I may or may not be part of that 10. https://t.co/v84H1FBDij
— Toolz O.D (@ToolzO) June 4, 2021
JJ Omojuwa wrote:
“The funniest irony will be if the telcos actually block access to Twitter, then folks access it via VPN only to also see those who supported the ban accessing Twitter via their own VPN to defend the ban. Lol. That’d be such a narrative for a zero sense of irony.”
And some Nigerian politicians react:
Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Former Senate President of Nigeria wrote: “No sir! This should not be the response from the president of a nation with a vibrant youthful population for whom #Twitter is part of their daily lives and a source of their income and livelihood.
This must be reviewed.”
Dino Melaye wrote: “Naija Govt sha. Using Twitter platform to announce Twitter suspension. Na im Baba Fela dey call babanla nonsense.
Buhari should learn from Trump. Ordinary Delete na im vex you like this. Na im be say if dem suspend you you go collect our phones. Yeye dey smell. SDM”
Shehu Sani wrote: “Twitter suspension; a bad legacy.”
Reno Omokri wrote: The suspension of the activities of @Twitter in Nigeria by the @MBuhari administration should be ignored by @Jack. The Buhari government has no means of enforcing the suspension. Even officials of the Buhari regime are still on Twitter
#TwitterSuspendBuharisAccount #TableShaker”
Clergyman Apostle Johnson Suleman wrote: “They are banning Twitter in Nigeria. And they announced it on Twitter…”
J J Omojuwa wrote again: “Q: Oga, they said they will use VPN to access Twitter o. What can we do? LM: Stop asking stupid questions. Ban VPN, whatever that is, immediately too.”
Festus Ogun wrote: “Buhari thinks this is 1984. I guffaw! He’s messing with a very wrong generation. The mission to ban @Twitter is failed just like Buhari’s administration. The authorities are despicably dancing naked at market square. It will end in hot tears for them.”
Ben Murray-Bruce wrote: “Nigerians deserve their right to free speech. The Twitter ban in Nigeria is hasty and unnecessary. I hope the government sees its error and quickly corrects this goof.”
Rinu Oduala wrote: “Say after me: We will resist every attempt of the Government to ban Twitter in Nigeria.”
Fisayo Soyombo wrote: “The most shameful thing about the ban of Twitter in Nigeria is not even that it was announced.
It’s the realisation that this government can’t see the divisiveness and irresponsibility of that Buhari tweet, and the barefacedness with which it is going about it.”
Twitter is still LIVE in Nigeria as of the time of writing this story.
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