The party calls on the international community to hold President Buhari, Lai Mohammed, and Malami responsible for the escalated abuse of human rights in Nigeria.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Saudi Arabia to impose a visa ban on President Muhammadu Buhari and members of his cabinet involved in stifling freedom of speech in Nigeria.
The opposition party said the Federal Government’s ban on Twitter is in violation of the UN International Charter on Human Rights.
The party said this in a statement titled, ‘Twitter Ban: Impose Visa Ban on Buhari, Malami, Lai, PDP Tells US, UK, Others,’ signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.
The statement reads in part, “The PDP insists that banning Twitter in Nigeria is a clear violation of Article 19 of the UN Charter as well as section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guaranteed freedom of expression to all Nigerians.
“The party also urges the world bodies to also sanction the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami as well as certain leaders of the APC for their individual ignoble roles in the ban imposed on Twitter in addition to associated harassments and threats to Nigerians.
“The PDP urges the countries to bar President Buhari, Lai Mohammed, Abubakar Malami, and their family members from entering their territories for any private purposes whatsoever.
Quoting Article 19 of the UN Charter on Human Rights, the PDP said, “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.”
The party added that the includes freedom to hold opinion without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers
“In the same vein, section 39 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that “every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.
“Our party holds that the trio of President Buhari, Lai Mohammed and Abubakar Malami and their agents cannot continue to enjoy diplomatic privileges and rights extended by virtue of their offices in Nigeria, while at the same time blatantly flouting the UN Charter, which Nigeria is a signatory to, as well as the 1999 Constitution (as amended) upon which provisions they hold office.”
The party calls on the international community to hold President Buhari, Lai Mohammed, and Malami responsible for the escalated abuse of human rights in the country.
The party also said it has commenced the compilation of a list of APC leaders involved in infringing on the rights of Nigerians for onward transmission to the UN for sanctions.
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