On Wednesday at the National Assembly gate in Abuja, scores of protesters were seen carrying different placards agitating that the bill known as the Social Media Bill which has passed second reading be dropped with immediate effects.
The protest started around 9:25 a.m. Wednesday. And according to sources, they have taken it upon themselves to continue the protest for days until the bill is dropped.
Two major groups anchoring this protest are the ‘take it back movement’ and ‘concerned Nigerians. Prominent among the human right activists there is Deji Adeyanju, a former convener of our mumu don do.
Addressing journalists, Deji Adeyanju, one of the conveners of the protest, said the action would, henceforth, be frequent.
He said apart from the protests, there would be online actions which would involve sending text messages, calling and sending mails to every senator.
He added that this would be followed by “individual name shaming and picketing. We will assign tasks to different members (of our group) to go to their (the senators) homes. Let their children see what their parents are doing.”
Placards seen were having inscriptions like “If you can’t stand the smoke. Get out of the kitchen”, “Only a repressive regime muscles the media”, “#SayNoToSocialMediaBill, we are not in tyranny century”, “If we can’t say what we think, in a democratic society, then it is not democracy”, “Do not gag me”, “Free Sowore”.
They were however addressed by two senators, senator Uba Sani (APC, Kaduna Central) and Yakubu Oseni (APC, Kogi Central), the senators spoke on behalf of the Nigerian Senate promising the protesters that the senators will always respect democratic principles.
