The Presidency has made it clear that in taking any important decisions affecting Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari had never been influenced by the so-called cabal or what it called “back room boys.”

In a statement today, June 14, Senior Special Assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu said: “President Buhari takes his own decisions and carries them out without the backup of a so-called “cabal” or back room boys. The strong leader myth in Nigeria has lasted far too long.

“People make assumptions that if you are a leader, you dominate everything, and even determine electoral outcomes.

“Luckily for Nigeria, President Buhari does not suffer from such constraints. He refuses to act as the elected autocrat.”

Garba Shehu, who was obviously reacting to what he called: “conspiracy theories” and all manner of speculations on the All Progressives Congress (APC) before the recent Presidential Primary, said that the President had a clear purpose leading up to the primary, which was to ensure a transparent, free and fair process that will bring back people’s faith in democracy by taking good governance up to the grassroots level.

“By this alone, people’s faith and that of the international community in our democracy has received a major boost since the completion of the APC nomination.

“The flagbearer has been chosen. He has the President’s unwavering support. The journey to victory continues.

The Presidential spokesman concurred however that when it is election season people expect speculation to reach fever-pitch, saying that the press pores over every word spoken, scours every photo taken, and reports every indication suggested, seeking signs of who is supporting who like private investigators – or fiction writers.

According to Garba Shehu, there’s no greater intrigue for this kind of speculation-journalism than a party flagbearer primary, saying that such hysteria comes around once every four years, or every eight following President Buhari’s second term.

“Therefore, the media must make the most of it.

“So, what a disappointment the All Progressives Congress (APC) party flagbearer primary must have been for those who assembled to witness a catastrophe?

“No intrigue, no division, no disagreement, no defeated candidates rejecting the result, no splits, no third-party runs. It was only determination to rally around the chosen flagbearer to deliver victory and an APC third term in February 2023.

“The opposition reaction to this successful nomination convention has come by way of a counter offensive, so that we do not go on the offensive.

“In some instances, there is clear evidence of a conspiracy to destabilize the governing party and defame the President.

“The media are being inundated with made up stories– speculating about the role of the President in the flagbearer contest: whether he had a favoured candidate, and whether manoeuvres were made to install them; whether the chosen flagbearer was the President’s choice, or another.

“Speculation is easy. But facts are simple. The President always said he had a favoured candidate. He said that candidate was whoever was chosen by the APC in a democratic primary to lead the party at the election.”

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has listed the dangers in leaders swearing with Holy Books to serve the people in their capacities only for them to be doing other things that are contrary to the oath taken.

Swearing the six Area Council Chairmen of the FCT and their deputies after their elections recently, Muhammad Musa Bello said: “I urge you all to go back to your houses, carefully read and understand what you swore, because all of you, I noticed, held the holy books while you were doing so.

“These words that you uttered today, holding the holy books and also in the presence of all of us as witnesses and above all in the presence of God Almighty, are not simple words.”

The minister asked the elected leaders to limit themselves to simple things they will do to impact on the people, such as provision of water, education, primary healthcare and sanitation.

“If I were you, I will go for the basics. I will tackle primary education, I will tackle primary healthcare, I will tackle sanitation, I will tackle insecurity.

“And whoever you are, you can’t do anything on the security of your community unless you relate with your elders in the country.  So, hold on to these three or four items diligently and understand that you are local government authority and you are meant to provide local services.

“During your tenure, don’t ever allow one day to pass with your pupils out of school because somebody is on strike… Don’t ever allow a primary healthcare in your Area Council to be without water, to be without electricity, to be without staff, so that that woman who is pregnant, or that little boy who has diarrhea or that young girl that has malaria is taken care of. I tell you, if you handle these little things that you may think are small, your people will forever be grateful to you”.

He also enjoined the new Chairmen and Vice Chairmen to take time to go round their Area Councils with a view to familiarizing themselves with the various environmental challenges such as blocked drainages, waste and unkept streets.

He assured the newly inaugurated Chairmen of the continuous support of the FCT Administration while also charging residents to always hold those in authority accountable for what they swore to do.

The new Chairmen are Christopher Zakka Maikalangu of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), John S. Gabaya of Bwari, Danladi Chiya of Kwali, Abubakar Umar Abdullahi of Abaji, Abdullahi Sulaiman Sabo of Kuje and Abubakar Jibrin Giri of Gwagwalada.

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the Federal Government to discontinue its moves to adopt a Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries.

The group described the moves as ways of trying to regulate social media and other online platforms through the backdoor by circumventing the legislative process.

It also described the draft Code of Practice developed by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and published for public comments as a clumsy attempt to usurp the powers, functions and authority of the National Assembly as well as a breach of the constitutional rights of Nigerians.

MRA’s Programme Director, Ayode Longe, said: “the Federal Government is clearly attempting to circumvent the legislative process in favour of a backdoor approach to regulate social media and other internet platforms. It is curious that the Government has chosen to use an administrative document to surreptitiously create criminal offences as the document states unequivocally that any platform or internet intermediary responsible for violating its provisions will be liable to prosecution and conviction.”

He argued that NITDA’s misuse of the term “Code of Practice” to describe the document amounts to acting under false pretenses to dupe Nigerians into believing that the Government is seeking to protect them when its real intention is so obviously to control social media and other Internet platforms by compelling them to register with the Government and thereby muzzle the right to freedom of expression online.

Longe contended that the document is a breach of Articles 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Nigeria’s treaty obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which gives everyone the right to freedom of expression, including the “freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers…

“The name is problematic. Although it is termed a code of practice, it is in fact not intended to provide guidance for the implementation of any specific law or regulation. Rather, it creates criminal offences which are not contained in any existing Law and attempts to legitimize them by a vague reference to its enabling Act and other laws, which is beyond the remit of any such administrative document.”

Longe argued that the underlying rationale for many of the provisions of the document is unrealistic and unreasonable as they defy logic and common sense.

“In today’s globalized world, is it possible or realistic to expect global Internet platforms like Facebook, Twitter and others to register with the government of every country in the world where they have users and set up offices in all those countries, which is the implication of the Federal Government’s demand? Conversely, Nigeria’s external broadcaster, the Voice of Nigeria, broadcasts its signal and content to dozens of countries around the world and runs a website that is accessible globally; is it registered and does it have offices in all the countries where its signals are received as Nigeria is now demanding of platforms registered in other countries?”

Longe described many of the provisions of the document as arbitrary and draconian, saying the requirement that platforms take down “unlawful content” within 24 hours after receiving a notice or complaint from any authorized government agency constitutes an attempt by the Government to control content published on social media and other online platforms while bypassing the judicial process and usurping the functions of  the courts which should legitimately determine what content that is illegal or unlawful.

MRA therefore rejected the “Code of Practice” in its totality.  It called on the government to abandon it and approach the National Assembly with an appropriately bill, if its genuine intention is to address legitimate issues rather than violating the rights of Nigerians and other members of the public on the pretext of protecting them from fake news and misinformation.

NITDA’s Head of Corporate Affairs and External Relationship, Mrs. Hadiza Umar, had issued a statement announcing the new Code of Practice which it is presenting for public input, on the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari, in accordance with its mandate under the NITDA Act, to standardize, coordinate and develop regulatory frameworks for all information technology practices in Nigeria.