The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared support for the ban on micro blogging service, Twitter, by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
The party in a statement by its National Secretary Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, on Saturday also challenged talented Nigerians to seize the opportunity to develop superior software applications.
APC said Nigeria has the talents that can develop an alternative application to Twitter and “liberate the country and other developing countries from the shackles and shameful arrogance that frequently manifests in the way Twitter disdainfully promotes confusion and chaos in the name of freedom of expression in many countries of the world.”
The party said, “We at the APC firmly believe that Twitter’s suspension will undoubtedly serve as a positive trigger to unleash the creative potentials of Nigerians in the global digital space.
“This is a challenge to the vibrant youths with such talents. They will get support in the exercise from the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy and its agencies as well as the numerous information and Communication Technology (ICT) training and research establishments in the country.
“The recent announcement by the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy that Nigeria will soon start the production of smartphones and Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards for the African market is an evidence that the country has what it takes to make a deep and strong foray into the global ICT industry.
“The leadership of the APC hereby puts it on the record that the party and millions of its members, supporters aind sympathises at home and in the diaspora totally support the suspension slammed on Twitter for its continuous support for those who openly call for arson and the killing of security personnel in Nigeria. The suspension serves Twitter right and warns other social media tools to toe the line of decency and show respect for their host countries.”
The ruling party added that the Federal Government was right in suspending the operations of Twitter in the country for its role in promoting disaffection, derogating the country and its institutions as well allowing divisive elements bent on harming the country to use it as a channel to propagate and legitimise such destructive tendencies.
“It could be recalled that because of the unacceptable manner in which several social media and social network platforms were abuse, the APC in April 2021 in a statement implored Twitter and other social media outlets to curb the dissemination of divisive items, fake news and inciting rhetorics in the country, but in their characteristics arrogance, they ignored the advisory.
“They continued to operate in a trajectory that is in direct threat to our national security. They serially encouraged separatists, arsonists and glorified terrorists by offering them the platforms to spread their terror messages, a situation no responsible government will tolerate.”
If they are not mad, they would have the simple decency to be quiet.