The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said the suspension of the license of Badeggi FM, a private radio station in Minna, Niger State by the state governor Umar Bago is executive overreach.
ADC in a statement by interim National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said this showed the disdain for constitutional rights, and a steady erosion of democratic norms under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government.
The party stated that Governor Bago’s decision to shut down Badeggi FM “with immediate effect” is nothing short of a brazen assault on press freedom and a clear violation of the rule of law in a manner reminiscent of military dictatorship.
ADC expressed concerned at the growing dictatorial tendencies among the state governors of the ruling party, and recalled the recent public statement made by another APC governor, Monday Okpebholo of Edo State who declared the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023, Mr. Peter Obi persona non-grata in the state.
“Now this: Another APC Governor of Niger State, Muhammed Umaru Bago, has just announced a clamp down on a private radio station in the state, with “immediate effect” in a manner reminiscent of the worst form of military dictatorship.
“Perhaps, Governor Bago needs to be reminded that he was elected by these same people whose truth he now finds so uncomfortable that he is willing to have their heads,” the party said.
It reminded the governor that the cardinal principles of liberal democracy are the freedoms it guarantees, which includes freedom of speech, movement or association.
The party stated that under Nigerian constitution, no one has the power to truncate these freedoms under any pretext whatsoever.
“But it does appear that the APC governors who consider themselves as some kind of emperors need to be educated on this democratic principle,” ADC stated.
The party told Governor Bago that there are provisions in the laws for legitimate redress, as well as institutions saddled with the responsibility of ensuring compliance, if he feels that the said radio station has behaved unethically in any way or has transgressed the limits of free speech.
“Under Section 2(1)(b) of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act, the power to sanction a radio station rests solely with the NBC—not with any state governor.
“By criminalising free speech and declaring dissent as treason, Governor Bago has demonstrated the scant regards he has for the very constitution that has sworn to uphold.
“For an elected governor to accuse ordinary citizens of the highest crime in the land, which is treason, and then proceed to summarily pronounce them guilty all by himself, just because they dared to broadcast information that made the governor uncomfortable is outrageous in every respect,” ADC stated.
The party called on the governor to unseal Badeggi FM immediately, and on the National Assembly to take urgent steps to reinforce the autonomy of the NBC and insulate broadcast regulation from political interference.
