Amnesty International, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and former vice president Atiku Abubakar have condemned the National Broadcasting Commission's (NBC) advisory to broadcasters, calling it an attack on free speech. The NBC issued the directive on Friday, warning anchors and presenters against expressing personal opinions as facts, intimidating guests, or denying opposing views fair hearing ahead of the 2027 general elections. It stated that any breach would lead to accountability. Amnesty International Nigeria's Executive Director, Isa Sanusi, said the directive imposes "unduly restrictive and invasive controls" and undermines press freedom. He argued that the NBC lacks the authority to dictate journalistic practice and urged authorities to stop using the commission to suppress independent media.
Atiku, in a post on X, called the advisory "yet another troubling attempt to muzzle the media," warning that ethical standards should not be weaponised during election periods. He described the timing and tone as suggestive of a hidden agenda. Yunusa Zakari Yau, Executive Director of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), said the directive was issued without consultation and lacks clarity, raising risks of arbitrary enforcement. He questioned the NBC's push for "balance" without acknowledging power imbalances in public discourse. The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), through its Executive Director Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, warned the directive threatens civic space and could suppress dissent. Olasupo Abideen, Global Director of the Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), said journalistic freedom must be balanced with ethical responsibility but cautioned against selective enforcement targeting specific voices.
The NBC's sudden focus on broadcast ethics only ahead of the 2027 elections exposes a pattern of timing that benefits those in power. When regulatory warnings emerge exclusively during political seasons, the claim of neutrality becomes difficult to accept. Nigerian journalists now operate under a directive that criminalises opinion without defining what constitutes a violation. This ambiguity places the media in a bind: speak freely and risk punishment, or self-censor to stay safe.
💡 NaijaBuzz is an AI-assisted news aggregator. This content is curated from third-party sources — NaijaBuzz is not the original publisher and is not responsible for the accuracy of source reporting. The NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion only, not established fact. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. NaijaBuzz does not endorse the views expressed in source articles.
