President Bola Tinubu has been urged by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to immediately lift the restrictions on 25 journalists and media organizations covering events at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Channels reports that the accountability group said that the president should immediately reinstate their accreditation.
In a statement released on Sunday, August 27, SERAP urged the President to officially direct the staff members of the presidential villa to permit the media outlets and their journalists to carry out their legal obligation of responsibility.
This was stated in a statement provided to journalists on Sunday and signed by the SERAP deputy director.
Approximately 25 journalists’ credentials to cover events from the Presidential Villa in Abuja have reportedly been revoked by the federal government, according to SERAP.
The journalists from Vanguard, ONTV, MITV, PromptNews, Liberty, Ben TV, Galaxy TV, and ITV Abuja, according to the group, are among those who have been blacklisted.
It said that the measure impeded media organizations and journalists from carrying out their constitutionally mandated obligations.
The declaration says, in part:
“Your administration cannot ban journalists from covering public functions with one broad stroke. Citizens’ access to information and participation would mean little if journalists and media houses are denied access to the seat of government.”
It further stated that the cornerstone of Nigeria’s democracy is media freedom, and journalists must be allowed to hold the people in government accountable.