…says it’ll affect polls’ credibility
OSAS EMMANUEL
The Federal Government of Nigeria has been advised against shutting down the internet and the social media during the forthcoming general elections, as it will negatively affect the credibility of the polls.
Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), a pan-African social enterprise organisation, made the call during a press briefing in Abuja.
PIN Executive Director, Gbenga Sesan, said, “It came to Nigerians as a shock when the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced the ban on the operations of twitter in Nigeria in June 2021. Similar things might repeat themselves if care is not taken.
“The government might give security as the reason for such action but it’s for their own interest and security, and not for the interest of all Nigerians. We don’t want that repeated because it will have a negative effect on the credibility of the process.
“If that is done, we would be forced to rely on whatever the government says as the authentic information. That shouldn’t be. However, we have held meetings to discuss issues that concern the elections and activities that would be happening on the social media spaces.”
In his remarks, PIN Programme Officer, Sani Suleiman said that PIN is ready to deploy digital toolkits and also engage fact checkers to ensure information provided in the internet spaces either by individuals or politicians are verified and corrected where necessary.
He said: “We have developed AYETA which is an online toolkit for digital security. It was designed to provide users with tools and resources they need to protect their online privacy and security. This is particularly important in the run-up to the coming elections where access to information and the ability to communicate freely online is essential for a transparent election process.”
He said that AYETA toolkit will address the growing need to safeguard digital rights defenders, journalists, whistleblowers, and others working with sensitive information in the country and Africa at large.
“The internet and social media have become indispensable forums for political discourse. Thus, it is imperative that the fundamental digital rights of citizens, including access to information, freedom of expression, privacy, and data protection, are safeguarded before, during, and after election periods.
“Any deviation from this principle can result in unequal access to information and suppression of diverse political viewpoints, thereby undermining the democratic principles of free and fair elections” he said.
He made reference to most African countries where digital rights violations such as internet censorship, dissemination of false information through social media, and surveillance of citizens and political opponents, which often goes under-reported are prevalent during elections and can compromise the integrity of the democratic process and undermine the protection of individual’s privacy and freedom of expression.
He maintained that PIN is committed to collaborating with organisations and stakeholders in the digital rights and inclusion sector to bring about positive change and ensure that every individual has the right to privacy, freedom of expression, and access to information online before, during, and after the election.
