Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress {APC} for contemplating banning or regulating social media after using it to hoodwink Nigerians to attain power.
According to Wike, the APC-led federal government has miserably failed and wants to use its disagreement with Twitter as a false premise to suppress criticism of the administration’s appalling handling of the affairs of the nation through the dubious regulation of social media.
The governor made the accusation during the inauguration of nine reconstructed streets, including Nzimiro, Herbert Macaulay, Amassoma, Arochukwu, Atako, Ogoja, Akure, Yola and Chinwo in Old Government Residential Area of Port Harcourt on Thursday night.
A statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the Wike, Kelvin Ebiri on Friday morning, quoted him as noting that APC, having become the butt of jokes on social networks, is desperate to trample on the freedom of expression of Nigerians.
He said: “You have misled the country. You told us lies through social media. The same social media that you used to take over government, the same social media you want to regulate and ban. The same social media you used to tell Nigerians lies of how former President Goodluck Jonathan did not do this, how PDP did not do that.
“Now, you want the same social media to be regulated. You don’t want freedom of speech. Now, you want to gag them. Did anybody gag you when you were using them?”
According to Governor Wike, the kidnap of scores of students at Federal Government Girls College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State on Thursday, is a further demonstration of APC’s gross ineptitude to guarantee the safety of lives and property of Nigerians.
He further said that Nigerians are anxious for the APC to quit power and allow the more experienced PDP to once again restore stability in the polity and dignity of the nation.
“You wake every morning to hear 20 people have been kidnapped; 30 people have been kidnapped and people are telling us to keep quiet. Is it when they have kidnapped your own daughter?”
