President Muhammadu Buhari has criticised a controversial social media bill that is currently being debated in the senate. The Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and other Matters Connected Therewith has stirred outrage as many believe it is an attempt to curb freedom of speech and target government critics. It passed a second reading at the senate earlier in December.
"President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated the commitment of his administration to the protection of free speech in keeping with democratic tradition," the president's assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said in a statement. "But he is not averse to lawful regulation, so long as that is done within the ambit of the constitution which he swore to uphold. The president said free speech is central to democratic societies anywhere in the world. The president explained that without free speech, elected representatives won't be able to gauge public feelings and moods about governance issues."
Shehu said that Buhari reassured the public that the senate was democratic. However, the senate would continue to discuss the bill which, according to some senators, would tackle frivolous petitions and protect honest civil servants.
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