‘Brazen assault on press freedom’ — ADC knocks Bago over closure of radio station
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described the suspension of the operations of Badeggi FM by Umaru Bago, the governor of Niger State, as undemocratic and an affront to press freedom.
On Saturday, Bago directed the shutting down of Badeggi FM radio in Minna, the state capital, over alleged incitement of the people against the government.
In a statement issued by Bologi Ibrahim, the chief press secretary (CPS) to the governor, Bago also directed that the license of the station be confiscated, and the owner be profiled.
In a statement, Bolaji Abdullahi, the interim national publicity secretary of ADC, said the action of the governor was executive overreach and a disturbing trend.
“This 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,” the statement reads.
“Under our constitution, no one has the power to truncate these freedoms under any pretext whatsoever.”
Abdullahi said that there are provisions in the laws for legitimate redress if the Badeggi FM had behaved unethically in any way or had transgressed the limits of free speech.
He noted that there are also institutions saddled with the responsibility of ensuring compliance.
“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,” he said.
Abdullahi said the allegation of treason levelled against the radio station iss outrageous in every respect.
“The ADC warns that if this act is allowed to stand, it would set a precedent that will further imperil press freedom across the country,” he added.
“Today it is Badeggi FM—tomorrow it could be a newspaper, a social media platform, or a journalist asking the ‘wrong questions.
“Furthermore, the National Assembly must take urgent steps to reinforce the autonomy of the NBC and insulate broadcast regulation from political interference.”
