Adeyanju, on Wednesday, said this in a release, urging the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to refrain from the call to regulate social media.
Gbajabiala had last week called for the regulation of social media because it has become a societal menace.
Gbajabiamila said this while representing Tinubu at the public presentation of a book, “Nigerian Public Discourse: The Interplay of Empirical Evidence and Hyperbole” written by a former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, in Lagos.
“The social media has become a societal menace and must be regulated. As many people do not understand that once the send button is hit, there is a potential to reach millions of people around the world which is capable of causing a great danger not just in the society but even unintended consequences to the individuals that are receiving information which may include security of life,” Gbajabiamila said.
Adeyanju, Convener of Concerned Nigerians, while reacting, said, “Despite some of the ills that may be associated with social media, the platform has served as a tool for citizens to easily reach government officials who were hitherto unreachable, and hold them accountable. It is this access that Femi Gbajabiamila seeks to shut down.”
While admitting that Gbajabiamila has, in recent times, been at the receiving end of fake news, targeted harassment and baseless corruption allegations, Adeyanju, however, noted that “the call for the regulation of social media negates the principles of freedom of speech upon which our democratic nation is built.
“Needless to state that freedom of speech is a constitutionally guaranteed right enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and this right ought to be protected because it permits divergent opinions and criticisms on critical national issues.
“Even more ironic is the fact that the APC government where Femi Gbajabiamila presently holds a key position, rode onto power under the back of social media. It, is, therefore, disheartening that Femi Gbajabiamila is now seeking to regulate social media, to protect himself from criticisms!”
He, however, urged Gbajabiamila to oust any thought of regulating social media or infringing on the citizens’ right to freedom of expression but commit to protecting the civic space and freedom of speech as he holds a vital position to do so.
