The Center for Liberty (CFL) has expressed its disapproval of the prolonged silence of the 9th Senate to withdraw the Social Media Bill, which was overwhelmingly rejected by Nigerians at the Senate public hearing on the Bill. 

The group, in a statement signed by Raphael Adebayo and Maryam Ahmed, said it has developed a democratic-solutions document identical to those of other democratic nations, which will solve the problem of disinformation.

The statement reads in part:

“We wish to express our strong disapproval on the prolonged silence of the Ninth Senate over the proposed Social Media Bill. The pronounced inaction of the Senate to either kill the Bill or consider better, democratic solutions, indicate bad faith on the part of the upper chamber.

“It is almost a year since a public hearing was held on the “Protection from Internet Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill,” commonly known as the Social Media Bill, but an official report on the public hearing has not been made public, neither has the interment of the Bill which was overwhelmingly rejected by the Nigerian people during the public hearing, happened.

“Under our Digital Freedom Advocacy, with the support of Voice Nigeria, we have been able to develop Democratic Solutions to Disinformation or Fake News, in our humble effort to show the Nigerian Senate that there are better ways to deal with this global problem, without resorting to penal legislation like the Social Media Bill. Our Democratic Solutions document proposes alternative measures to deal with the problem of Disinformation, by adopting practical and proven practices of other democratic nations dealing with the same problem."

Read full report.