PDP Rejects New Broadcast Code, Says It’s Meant To Gag The Media And Cover APC Corruption

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has rejected the revised broadcast code put together by the federal government.

In a statement by its national spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the opposition party described the amended broadcast code as another draconian measure to muzzle the media and suppress free speech in Nigeria.

It also maintained that the rules was 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.”

According to the statement, the ruling party adopted the revised broadcast code with its N5 million fine to intimidate the media and gag whistleblowers 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 Muhammadu Buhari administration.

“The APC has been jittery over the stench of monumental corruption oozing out from its government as well as its anti-Nigeria activities, and now seeks to suppress public opinion and media reportage of their atrocities against our nation.

“The PDP invites Nigerians to note 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 therefore validates the stance by Nigerians that the 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 guarantees 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.

The party further warned the APC, informing the ruling party that Nigeria’s democracy would not be restrained from its rights of speaking out in the “face of injustice, corruption, abuse of trust in the APC administration, which President Buhari had also admitted.”

The opposition party, therefore, called on the President to direct the Ministry of Information and Culture to halt actions that will further worsen “the ugly situation in our country under the APC corrupt and anti-people administration.”