SERAP, Amnesty International Charge LP, PDP Lawmakers To Reject Bill Seeking To Gag CSOs

Right groups, Amnesty International and Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) have called on lawmakers elected on the platforms of the Peoples Democratic Party Labour Party to reject a bill currently on the floor of the house that seeks to gag Civil Society Organisations in the country.

Making this call in a post on its official X account, Amnesty International charged the lawmakers to immediately reject the dangerous oppressive bill re-introduced by an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker Sada Soli.

The right group argued that the bill was targeted at violating the rights of Nigerians and caging the freedom of CSOs.

“Amnesty International calls on the members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives to immediately reject the dangerous and oppressive bill reintroduced by Sada Soli (APC-Katsina) to violate Nigerians’ human rights and gag civil society in the country,” a statement by Amnesty International read.

On its part, SERAP tasked the minority lawmakers to reject the repressive bill warning that it was an attempt by the government to crackdown on human rights.

“BREAKING: Labour Party and PDP members in the @HouseNGR should reject the repressive bill reintroduced by the Tinubu administration and Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) to crackdown on human rights and civil society in the country. We’ll see in court if this bill is ever passed into law,” SERAP statement read.

Naija News recalls that the House of Representatives considered a bill for an Act to establish a regulatory agency for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

The  Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli, sponsored the bill, which seeks to regulate the promotion of social development activities in Nigeria and associated topics.

In his lead discussion, Hon. Soli stated that the bill’s primary goal is to establish the Agency to ensure that NGOs and CSOs reach their full societal development potential, as well as to manage private-public development partnerships.

However, the House resolved to step down its consideration of the bill.