The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERA) has sued President Bola Ahamed Tinubu for allegedly unlawfully withdrawing the accreditation of 25 journalists and media houses covering the Asso Rock Presidential Villa.
The affected journalists were asked to surrender their accreditation tags at the gate of the Villa when they reported for work without being offered details why such a decision was taken against them.
In 2022, 66 Nigerian journalists and three media houses came under various forms of attacks, a report of the International Press Center indicates.
WikkiTimes gathered that no date has been fixed for the matter to be mentioned yet.
SERAP, in the lawsuit filed before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, is seeking a court order to compel President Tinubu to reverse the decision and allow the affected journalists to continue doing their legitimate chores without undue interference.
“An order of perpetual injunction to restrain President Tinubu or any other authority, person or group of persons from arbitrarily and unilaterally revoking the accreditation of any journalist or media house from covering the Presidential Villa.
“A declaration that the withdrawal and revocation of accreditation tags and ban on journalists and media houses from covering the Presidential Villa without any lawful justification is inconsistent with the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, participation and media freedom,” the suit numbered FHC/L/CS/1766/23 filled by counsels to SERAP, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, Kolawole Oluwadare, and Ms Valentina Adegoke read in parts.
SERAP argued that if not reversed, the revocation of accreditation of the affected journalists will open doors for more encroachment into freedom of expression and free speech in the country, especially coming from the office of the number one citizen of Nigeria, the President.
