Ayodele Fayose, Ekiti state governor, has expressed reservations concerning the categorisation of hate speech as an act of terrorism.
At a security summit in Abuja on Thursday, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo said the federal government would no longer tolerate inflammatory statements.
But in a statement which Lere Olayinka, his spokesman, issued on his behalf, Fayose alleged that the development was a plot to silence the opposition.
“I wish to express concern over the pronouncement of the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo that hate speech will henceforth be treated as terrorism,” Fayose said.
“While I am totally against hate speech and will support any effort to curb it, it is important to caution the federal government on the danger inherent in the blanket categorisation of hate speech as treasonable.
“I make bold to say that saying the truth concerning the country and its rulers cannot be termed as hate speech.
“This appears as another plot to silence the opposition and I make bold to say that saying the truth concerning the country and its rulers cannot be termed as hate speech.”
“Most importantly, going by the APC government’s use of the so-called anti-corruption fight to harass, intimidate, arrest and detain opposition figures, there is no doubt that categorising whatever that is termed as hate speech as act of terrorism is unconstitutional and an attempt to gag Nigerians, especially the press,” he said.
“Even if the APC government is sincere with its new found hatred for hate speeches, the APC government must first apologise to Nigerians for being the number one promoter and beneficiary of hate speech.”
