The youth wing of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has endorsed the suspension of Twitter operation, arguing that a company without legal personality in Nigeria cannot be allowed to do as it pleases.
National Youth Leader and member of the party’s Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Barrister Ismail Ahmed, gave this endorsement in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the forthcoming National Progressive Youth Conference.
Ahmed said the decision to place Twitter on suspension was in line within government’s right to exercise the country’s sovereignty, adding that government has not banned the social media platform but only placed it on suspension.
“The suspension of a non-legal entity in Nigeria who feels it is okay for it to delete a tweet of the President without a recourse to a conversation with the government representatives if it can reach it, I think at some point government needed to reinstate that it is a sovereign Nation and that no company with whatever name that does not have any legal personality in Nigeria will do to it as it pleases.
“The government didn’t ban social media as a lot of people will insinuate, it is very important that we know that because Facebook is still in operation, Instagram is still in operation, Watzup is still in operation and a lot of other social media platforms still in operation. In fact, some people will tell you Twitter is for the elite young people and not necessary for the general public.
“I think there are far more subscribers of Facebook in Nigeria than they are of Twitter but having said that it’s still a very important medium for people. So for whatever it is that government felt to suspend Twitter, not ban, there was a suspension and ofcourse there is a conversation going on between the government and the representative of Twitter and I am sure it will be resolved.”
When asked how he personally felt about the development as a youth, he said: “We as young people our job is to represent our constituency and to plead with those we can plead with to come to amicable resolution.
“But I’m I happy that there is no Twitter today that I cannot tweet? Ofcourse not, but I hope there will be an amicable resolution and I hope Twitter will be responsible going forward.”
On the Progressive Youth Conference scheduled for June 21 in Abuja, the Youth Leader said President Muhammadu Buhari has agreed to declare it open while Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and other party leaders will be in attendance.
Each state and the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) are to be represented at the conference by five delegates each to be led by their State Youths leader, while others will join through zoom.
