2023: Aisha Yesufu ‘Spits’ On Invitation To Talk On Lifting Of Twitter Ban By Buhari Gov’t

Co-convener of the BringBackOurGirls movement, Aisha Yesufu has vowed to turn down invitations by any media outlet to discuss the lifting of the Twitter ban in Nigeria.

Naija News reports that the human rights activist made her decision known on Thursday in a post on the microblogging platform, shortly after it was restored for use in Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari-led government had on Wednesday (yesterday) approved the suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria to be lifted.

The president’s directive was made public in a statement on Wednesday by the Chairman Technical Committee Nigeria-Twitter Engagement and Director-General National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi.

According to the statement, the lifting of the suspension on Twitter operations in Nigeria will be effective from midnight 13th January 2022.

The microblogging platform owners have also confirmed the lifting and subsequently allowed Nigerian IP addresses to freely access the platform.

However, Yesufu who is known as one of the hardened critics of the Buhari administration, took to her verified page on Thursday to declare that she will not allow the incompetent government to set the agenda on her discussion.

The activist stated that she will only accept invitations to talk about how Nigerians can vote for competent people in the upcoming 2023 general elections.

Yesufu tweeted: “Dear Media Houses, I will be turning down your invitation to come to discuss the lifting of the Twitter ban. This incompetent government will not be the one to set the agenda for my discussion.

“I will accept an invitation to discuss how citizens can vote competent people in 2023.”

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has described as an attack and violation of citizens’ right of expression the ban on the microblogging site, Twitter by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

AI’s statement reads: “Amnesty International welcomes the lifting of the Twitter ban by Nigerian authorities, after seven months of depriving Nigerians of exercising their right to freedom of expression on a social media platform that facilitates dialogue and empowers everyone to communicate, hold useful debates and conversations, and demand accountability from the Nigerian authorities.

“The Twitter ban was illegal — in the first place — and an attack on the right to freedom of expression, including online, access to information and media freedom. Nigerian authorities must end all acts that violate rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and freedom of the press,” the rights group said.