It is unfortunate that we have less than 500 persons trying to shut us out of the social media and trying make life unbearable for us because we are demanding for good governance and accountability in government.
Some activists in Ondo State on Wednesday protested against two bills seeking to regulate the activities of Nigerians on the social media especially the one trying to label free speech as 'hate speech' in the country.
The activists stormed the state’s House of Assembly at Igbatoro Road in Akure, the capital, chanting solidarity songs to express their displeasure with the proposed bills.
According to the protesters, the bill was a subtle attempt to turn Nigeria into a totalitarian state under President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
Folasade Bamigboye, one of the demonstrators, said both the hate speech and social media bills currently being debated at the National Assembly were anti-people and an infringement on the rights of Nigerians to free speech.
She said, "We are here as concerned Nigerians to say no to the hate speech bill and social media bill which is before the Senate because if the bill is passed into law, it would be a total infringement on our right to talk.
"Every citizen have freedom of speech and taking that away is like a slap on our faces as Nigerians.
"There are existing laws taking care of offenders as it relates to these issues. So, People should be free to air their views."
Oluwagbenga Ajongbolo, another protester, said the government was afraid of the power of social media to hold them accountable, hence the reason for the clamp down on the digital space.
He said, “It is unfortunate that we have less than 500 persons trying to shut us out of the social media and trying make life unbearable for us because we are demanding for good governance and accountability in government.
"We know that the plan for this hate speech and social media bills was orchestrated to attack many of us using the social media to put government under check by asking questions where they have failed.
"The same government that is planning to shut us down through the hate speech bill has refused to release the Publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, and Olawale Bakare just because they called for a peaceful protest.“
Other activists, who joined the protest, all called for the release of Sowore, Bakare and Agba Jalingo from illegal detention.