SERAP Drags Tinubu To Court For Banning 25 Journalists From Presidential Villa’

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sued President Bola Tinubu for the unlawful ban and withdrawal of the accreditations of twenty-five journalists.

This is coming after the 48-hour ultimatum issued by SERAP.

Naija News recalls that on August 18 FG had withdrawn the accreditation tags of 25 journalists and media houses from covering activities at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The banned journalists include those from Vanguard newspaper; Galaxy TV; Ben TV; MITV; ITV Abuja; PromptNews, ONTV, and Liberty.

Other media personnel affected by the withdrawal are mostly reporters and cameramen from broadcast, print, and online media outlets.

Reacting to the development SERAP had warned the President to publicly instruct the officials in the presidential villa to allow journalists and media houses to freely do their job and discharge their constitutional duty of holding those in power to account or face legal action after 48 hours.

In the suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, Kolawole Oluwadare, and Valentina Adegoke, at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is seeking: “an order to direct and compel President Tinubu to reverse the revocation of the accreditations and ban on 25 journalists and media houses from covering the Presidential Villa.

“An order of perpetual injunction to restrain President Tinubu or any other authority, person or group of persons from arbitrarily and unilaterally revoking the accreditations of any journalists and media houses from covering the Presidential Villa.”

SERAP is also seeking: “A declaration that the withdrawal and revocation of accreditation tags and ban on the journalists and media houses from covering the Presidential Villa without any lawful justifications is inconsistent with the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, participation, and media freedom.”