Atiku accuses Tinubu’s govt of plans to gag media, silence dissent forward of 2027 elections

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of trying to stifle the media forward of the 2027 elections.

Atiku spoke in response to a latest code of conduct advisory issued by the Nationwide Broadcasting Fee (NBC), describing the directive as an effort to limit free expression.

“The Code of Conduct advisory issued by the Nationwide Broadcasting Fee is yet one more troubling try to muzzle the media and shrink the house without spending a dime expression in Nigeria,” he mentioned.

Atiku mentioned Nigeria’s media business has earned international recognition for its resilience and professionalism.

“Our media business has grown right into a formidable establishment, revered globally for its resilience and professionalism,” he mentioned.

He alleged that such directives typically floor throughout election intervals and expressed assist for media organisations resisting what he described as censorship.

“It’s subsequently alarming that, every time elections method, the NBC resorts to heavy-handed directives that do extra to silence dissent than to uphold moral journalism.

“I stand firmly with Nigeria’s broadcast business and all media platforms resisting this creeping censorship.

“Let it’s clear: moral requirements are usually not seasonal instruments to be weaponised throughout campaigns, they’re fixed obligations,” he mentioned.

Atiku mentioned the timing of the advisory raises issues concerning the authorities’s intentions.

“The timing and tone of those rules expose a deeper agenda. It indicators a authorities extra excited by controlling narratives than allowing a free, truthful, and clear electoral course of,” he added.