PDP rejects N5m fine in reviewed broadcast code

TRACKING____The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the reviewed broadcast code announced by the Federal Government and described it as another draconian measure to muzzle the media and suppress free speech in Nigeria.

The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its government adopted the reviewed code with its N5 million fine to intimidate the media and gag whistle blowers from further exposing the humongous corruption, abuse of office, violation of human rights as well as officials’ betrayal of trust and abuse of office in the Buhari administration.

According to the PDP, the fine is also a grand plot to suppress and muzzle Nigerians and the media from publicly opposing plots by the APC to mortgage the sovereignty of our dear nation to foreign interests as being witnessed in the anti-Nigeria clauses in the loan agreements with China.

The opposition party said the APC had been jittery over what it called “stench of monumental corruption oozing out from its government as well as its anti-Nigeria activities” pointing out that the Federal Government now seeks to suppress public opinion and media reportage of their atrocities against our nation.

The PDP alleged that the APC administration rushed to review the broadcast codes and introduced draconian clauses at the height of public revelations and media reportage of its corruption and plots to mortgage our nation’s sovereignty to China.

“The reviewed broadcast code validates the stance by Nigerians that covering of corruption and the scheme to mortgage the sovereignty of our nation are official policies of the APC which has not denied that it is the headquarters of corruption.

“Our party, however, wishes to inform the APC and its administration that the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and other laws guiding media practice, which guarantee a free press and freedom of opinion by Nigerians are clear and that no matter how much the truth is suppressed, it must always come to light,” the statement read in part.

The opposition PDP asked the APC to note that Nigeria operates a democracy, adding that “Nigerians cannot be suppressed from exercising their rights of speaking out in the face of injustice, corruption, abuse of trust in the APC administration, which President Buhari had also admitted.”