Nigeria: A bill to regulate social media, prescribe death sentence for a so called hate speech is a road to full blown tyrany- Sani

Shehu Sani 

A former Senator of the Federal Republic, Senator Shehu Sani has called on the National Assembly not to be complicit in the destruction of the country's democracy and the building of a totalitarian state under an authocratic president Muhammadu Buhari.

He said the purported bill to regulate the social media and to prescribe death sentence for a so called hate speech is a road to full blown tyrany, An authoritarian step to protect power by fear and silence.

"The parliament must not be complicit in the destruction of our democracy and the building of a totalitarian state. A bill to regulate the social media and to prescribe death sentence for a so called hate speech is a road to full blown tyrany;An authoritarian step to protect power by fear and silence."

A Bill to Establish a Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speeches on Tuesday bounced back in the Senate.

The Bill titled, “National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speeches (Est, etc) Bill, 2019(SB.154) and sponsored by the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, All Progressives Congress, APC, Niger North was read the first time at Plenary.

A similar Bill sponsored last year March by same Senator Abdullahi where the bill stated that any person found guilty of any form of hate speech that results in the death of another person shall die by hanging upon conviction.

Though the bill died on arrival, the Senator has reintroduced the same Bill  to satisfy the yarning of the Buhari administration's determinations to cripple and silence opposing voices and criticisms against his government policies and programs that are drastically anti-peopls

Earlier, Sani called on the federal government to respect the rule of law and free the convener of the Revolution Now Movement Omoyele Sowore and any other person detained in flagrant violation of Court orders.

He asked the Buhari led govenment to stop the use of brute force to crush peaceful dissent or protests

He said in a message oon his verified social media account: "Our message and position to the Government is very clear and direct; Respect the rule of law and free Sowore and any other person detained in flagrant violation of Court orders.And stop the use of brute force to crush peaceful dissent or protests.We said this under IBB, Abacha, Obj, UMY and we are restating this NOW!!!

President Muhammadu Buhari is notable for autocracy and disobeying court orders.