As a result of the alleged unlawful ban and withdrawal of the accreditations of 25 journalists and media houses from covering the Presidential Villa, Abuja, a Lagos-based rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has initiated a suit against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It would be recalled that the President Tinubu-led Federal Government (FG) withdrew the accreditations of no fewer than 25 journalists from covering activities at the Presidential Villa.
The unlucky journalists were particularly directed at the main gate of the Presidential Villa to submit their accreditation tags.
SERAP by its suit designated FHC/L/CS/1766/23, filed last Friday before a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, is asking for "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”.
Furthermore, the human rights group is urging the court for 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 equally 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.
In the legal offensive, the group is contending that if not reversed, the arbitrary ban on the journalists from covering the Presidential Villa would open the door to other cases of arbitrariness and would restrict people’s right to freedom of expression, access to information, participation, and media freedom.
While arguing that the withdrawal of the accreditations of the journalists is without any lawful justifications, and inconsistent and incompatible with plurality of voices, diversity of voices, non-discrimination, and just demands of a democratic society, as well as the public interest, SERAP in the suit filed by its lawyers, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), Kolawole Oluwadare, and Ms Valentina Adegoke, insisted that “The ban on the journalists from covering the Presidential Villa fails to meet the requirements of legality, necessity, and proportionality.
“The media plays an essential role as a vehicle or instrument for the exercise of freedom of expression and access to information, in its individual and collective aspects, in a democratic society.
“The existence of a free, independent, vigorous, pluralistic, and diverse media is essential for the proper functioning of a democratic society.
“The free circulation of ideas and news is not possible except in the context of a plurality of sources of information and media outlets. The lack of plurality in sources of information is a serious obstacle to the functioning of democracy.
“The exercise of the right to freedom of expression through the media is a guarantee that is fundamental for advancing the collective deliberative process on public and democratic issues.
“Under the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 [as amended] and human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party, freedom, and diversity must be guiding principles in the measures to promote media freedom.
"The ban on the 25 journalists is entirely inconsistent and incompatible with these principles”.
SERAP added that “Barring these journalists and media houses from covering the Presidential Villa is to prevent them from carrying out their legitimate constitutional responsibility”.
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.
As of the time of filing this report, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
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