THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for restricting 25 journalists from covering the Presidential Villa.
The organisation disclosed this in a post via Twitter on Sunday, September 3.
“We’ve sued the Tinubu administration over the unlawful ban of 25 journalists from covering the Presidential Villa. The ban is inconsistent with diversity of voices and the public interest,” the tweet reads.
The suit was filed on Friday, September 1, at the Federal High Court in Lagos and sought to compel Tinubu to reverse the withdrawal of the journalists’ accreditation.
On Friday, August 18, 25 journalists were barred from covering the Villa as security operatives at the main gate withdrew their accreditation tags.
Speaking to The ICIR on August 24, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said the move was aimed at reducing overcrowding across all departments of the villa.
He also said the reduction did not affect only the media department, adding that notice of the exercise was given to members of the Press Corps ahead of time.
SERAP, however, has demanded a perpetual injunction to restrain the president or other group of persons arbitrarily revoking the accreditation of journalists covering the Villa.
“If not reversed, the arbitrary ban on the journalists from covering the Presidential Villa would open the door to other cases of arbitrariness and would restrict people’s right to freedom of expression, access to information, participation, and media freedom.
“The withdrawal of the accreditations of the journalists is without any lawful justifications. It is inconsistent and incompatible with plurality of voices, diversity of voices, non-discrimination, and just demands of a democratic society, as well as the public interest,” the suit read.
SERAP noted that the existence of diverse media is essential for the functioning of democracy and accountability.
“The withdrawal of the accreditations of the journalists would construct barriers between Nigerians and certain information about the operations of their government, something which they have a constitutional right to receive.
“Media freedom, access to information and the right to participation are necessary for the maintenance of an open and accountable government. These freedoms are so fundamental in a democracy that they trump any vague grounds of ‘security concerns and overcrowding of the press gallery area’ ” SERAP noted.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
In 2023, Nigeria ranked 123rd out of 180 countries rated on the press freedom ranking by Reporters without Borders (RSF).
“Nigeria is one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists, who are often monitored, attacked and arbitrarily arrested, as was the case during the 2023 elections,” the RSF stated.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.