The twitter ban by the Federal Government of Nigeria came as an appalling news to all and sundry. The ban incited provocative reactions and non consenting feedbacks even from the international communities. What went through the minds of some persons must have been the reason for taking such drastic decision by the government of the day. It is believed that the reason for the twitter ban was as a result of what transpired prior to the ban. Prior to the ban on twitter, the President of Nigeria posted a controversial tweet, which a cross section of the Nigerian populace found unpalatable. This resulted to the call for twitter to take action by a good number of Nigerian twitter users. Twitter responded by deleting the controversial aspect of the President’s post citing a violation of it policy. In a swift reciprocation, the Federal Government of Nigeria placed an indefinite suspension on the use of twitter in Nigeria. However, the government denied that the ban on twitter was because the President’s post was removed but cited the irresponsible use of twitter and threat to national security. Furthermore, a close scrutiny on the event that led to twitter ban in Nigeria within the period under review reveals that the reasons given by the government for suspending twitter is unconvincing and at large of contrary intention. This further exacerbates the mistrust of the citizenry towards the government. An evident revelation which upheld the reasons for twitter ban been not convincing was when a presidential spoke person said “Federal government has defeated twitter”. This statement shows that the twitter ban was a retaliatory action against twitter by the central government of which genuine reason is void. Twitter is a micro blogging and social networking service that host wide range of users especially in Nigeria. Twitter is not only a medium for communication but also serve as a source of livelihood and promotion of talent. Twitter like every other social media platforms has laid down policy that governs it operation and it binds on all it users. The use of twitter in Nigeria has been for a longtime. It has given voice to people across board to express their opinion on concerning issues especially those affecting our dear country Nigeria. Above all, the social media has relatively been helpful in advancing the fundamental and inalienable right of citizens in freedom of expression and from oppression especially from State actors. The popular use of social media as a medium for criticism on the policies and actions of government has stirred irritability on the part of State actors. The government of the day has always found social media to be a thorn in its flesh. This is because unlike other media outlets that are regulated by an agency of government, which is use in some cases as a predator on the broadcasting space, the social media continues to serve as an open platform for communication beyond the reach of government influence. The social media has built a communal friendship amongst its users such that interactions and self expression is made feasible. The use of social media platforms like twitter in Nigeria to clearly express concern on matters of public interest has been proliferated. There is a common saying that where there is no law, sin is not an offence. The government of Nigeria has raised concern on the need for the regulation of social media because of what they termed “Irresponsible use of social media”. However, if the sin of Nigerians is to utilize social media platforms such as twitter not just as a source of livelihood but a medium to demand accountability and good governance on the part of State actors then, the ban on twitter and the campaign for social media regulation is of contrary intention. The government of the day should be more accommodating to criticism across all levels including those from the social media. If the government has issues with any social media platform all it needs to do is call the attention of the management team to address such concern. This is the 21st century; the swift enforcement of crude policies is not the best solution. The ban on twitter is truly uncalled for and not in the interest of common good. Frankly speaking, the ban on twitter in Nigeria does not make her better civilized or even a developed country. Nigeria has a lot of pertinent issues that needs urgent attention and I tell you, to compare, the problem of twitter is negligible. Nigeria should begin to grow in the maturity of acknowledging the right to freedom of speech, expression and association even in an open internet space. Victor Okonjo is a student of Computer Engineering, Federal University of Technology Akure. He has a keen drive in the creative expression of thought and ideas through the Pen. He can be reached at okonjovico@gmail.com

When two elephants fight, it’s usually a weird scene for dominance. The fight could range from mild to intense battles. Normally, a lot comes into play when elephants approach each other and leading to a fight; and when they eventually fight, the grasses will suffer. This is the case between the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and a microblogging and social networking service, Twitter. Truly, the tension between social media giants and state actors in Nigeria is taking a rising dimension of late. Just recently, the faceoff between the FGN and Twitter started from what could be described as mere accusations to degenerate into intense tit for tats, characterized by the deletion of the Nigerian President’s tweet and the reprisal action to suspend Twitter’s operation in the country. So, what could’ve led to this suspension? What does the suspension mean for warring parties? Is the fight between these two elephants ending any time soon? Is there any way forward? These are the burning questions this essay seeks to answer. Ban or Suspension of Twitter: which one? It is important to get the narrative correctly. Twitter was not banned in Nigeria; rather, it was suspended. Suspensions are temporary while bans are permanent. The government of Nigeria on Friday, June 4, 2021, announced it was suspending Twitter’s operations in the country. The decision resulted after President Buhari’s tweet was deleted for what for termed “offensive” and breach of its rules. The Offensive Tweet; The Suspension Following his meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, which was occasioned by the incessant destruction of INEC offices, Mr. President’s verified Twitter handle had read: “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand [1].” And in what seemed like a gang-up, Facebook, another social media giant, followed suit to also remove Buhari’s controversial civil war post on its platform. The Guardian reported that it cited a violation of community standards against inciting violence for its reason. Irked by this development, Twitter’s suspension in Nigeria was announced; albeit the government had debunked claims that it was a knee-jerk reaction. Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed claimed, “the persistent use of the platform for activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence [2]” necessitated the suspension. Recall that Buhari’s inciteful tweet came on the heels of the commemoration of Biafrans who lost their lives in the “Nigerian-Biafran” war. So, the tweet drew public outcry and persons had begun to report the tweet and given that it truly violated Twitter rules, the tweet was deleted. Accusations, Counter Accusations, and Speculations Reacting, the minister accused Twitter of double standards and criticized Twitter for turning a blind eye to the instigative tweets of the separatist leader of the Independent People Of Biafra (IPOB) instead. The Minister also accused Twitter of being largely complicit in the 2020 End-SARS movement against police brutality – a development the government is still fighting to come clean about. Alhaji Mohammed would go further to label social media giants as vectors of fake news. It would be recalled that the deletion of Buhari’s tweet came on the heels of Twitter’s announcement that it would be setting up its first African office in Accra, Ghana, instead of Nigeria, even after persuasions from Nigeria. Twitter cited Ghana’s support for free speech, online freedom, and the open internet for its decision. With these, speculations became rife that the suspension was a payback gimmick by the Nigerian government on the Tech giant. Neither Side is Innocent But does the government truly come out smelling of roses? Is it truly innocent of the fake news it accuses Twitter of? Well… it would be recalled that President Buhari’s Special Adviser on social media posted a video on Twitter that showed supporters at a big rally when in reality, the images were from a religious gathering the year before. She also posted a photo of major road construction, citing it as an example of the President’s public works. However, the public works were in Rwanda. She issued an apology, saying: “My big mistake, apologies to all, friends and wailers alike. It won’t happen again [3].” Even the brouhaha and uproar that greeted the petroleum pump price increase in March 2021 alongside the Money-printing saga in April 2021 – where government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies branded conflicting and misrepresentative information – all gives credence to the fact that government is not entirely innocent of fake news. But What Implication(s) Does the Suspension mean for Warring Parties? First, it amounts to usurping citizens’ right to freedom of expression as enshrined in the constitution. It also undermines the citizens’ ability to instil transparency and hold the government accountable through social media engagements. The government’s decision inadvertently threatens Nigerian’s growing democracy. In times when citizens lament the President’s persistent failure to address the nation on biting issues, Twitter had become the numero uno means he communicated with the people. Now, with the suspension, that line of communication is severed. One wonders why state actors didn’t scrutinize the pros and cons surrounding the suspension carefully before crossing the Rubicon. The FGN-Twitter fight trended like wildfire, and some analysts believe it’s a diversionary tactic the ruling government deliberately employed to shift attention from the perceived failure of the government in fighting the frightening insecurity in the country. Corroborating this position, the governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom tweeted thus; “The ‘ban’ on Twitter is not only an ill-advised move to divert the attention of Nigerians from the FGN’s failure to tackle insecurity in parts of the country… [4].” The suspension also threatens Nigeria’s corporate image before the international community. Once the suspension was announced, Thisday reported that Diplomatic Missions in Nigeria all registered their displeasure and concerns [5]. Now, did it ever occur to state actors