I Have No Hand In Proposed Social Media Bill- Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday assured Nigerians that
he would not assent to any legislation that is inconsistent with the nation’s
constitution.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on
Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President said this in his
reaction to the public outcry currently trailing the Social Media Bill being
debated in the Senate.

Shehu quoted the President as restating his administration’s
commitment to the protection of free speech in keeping with democratic tradition.

He said since Buhari had sworn to defend the constitution of
Nigeria, he would not lend his hand to anything that was inconsistent with the
constitution.

He said the President was fully aware of the public
reservations about the proposed legislation, but assured Nigerians that ‘’there
is no cause for alarm, because the Senate is a democratic Senate. The President
won’t assent to any legislation that may be inconsistent with the constitution
of Nigeria.”

The presidential spokesman however added that Buhari was not
against lawful regulation that was done in consonance with the law.

“But he (the President) is not averse to lawful regulation,
so long as that is done within the ambit of the constitution which he swore to
uphold,” he added.

Shehu further quoted Buhari as saying that free speech was
central to democratic societies anywhere in the world and that without free
speech, elected representatives would not be able to gauge public feelings and
moods about governance issues.

“As a key component of democratic principles, the President
acknowledged that people in democratic societies are so emotionally attached to
free speech that they would defend it with all their might,” he added.