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| Image: Internet |
Phrank Shaibu, the Special Assistant on Public Communications to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, has criticized the dismantling of billboards bearing the message "All Eyes on The Judiciary." He views this act as indicative of President Bola Tinubu's authoritarian tendencies and an attack on freedom of speech.
Shaibu conveyed these sentiments in a statement issued on Tuesday, responding to the directive from the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) to remove billboards featuring the aforementioned inscription across the nation.
He contended that this incident further reinforces the argument that legal proceedings related to election cases should conclude before those potentially benefiting from questionable elections assume office.
Shaibu emphasized that ARCON's actions have taken on the characteristics of the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA), which has often been criticized for curbing citizens' rights to display advertisements that the Lagos State Government views as unfavorable.
He observed the irony in Tinubu's claims of being a democrat and his purported contributions to the June 12 struggle, only to seemingly adopt an authoritarian stance after the election.
Shaibu, a member of Atiku's team, criticized the hypocrisy of Tinubu advocating for democracy abroad while simultaneously denying Nigerians a fundamental democratic right: freedom of speech and expression.
Shaibu noted: “Tinubu has, once again, put his dictatorial tendency on public display. How has a simple message that says “all eyes are on the judiciary” suddenly become offensive?
“This is a clear case of abuse of office and reinforces the argument that court cases ought to be concluded before inauguration so that beneficiaries of fraudulent elections would not be able to manipulate the system in their favour.
He further wondered how a message like: “All Eyes on the Judiciary” would translate into a threat to society.
Shaibu stressed: “The basic principle of social justice is about the people. The advertisers of the billboards only did what the norm is in civilised climes.
“It was the agents working to impress an interest that read meanings to that innocuous advert. Otherwise, it is a basic principle that eyes must be on the wheel of justice. Eyes must naturally be on the wheel of justice because when justice is delivered, it must be ‘seen’ to have been just!
“In any case, both Tinubu and the APC are before the same court. It is curious how they find this particular message upsetting. Anyway, even if they pull down the billboards, they can never stop all eyes from being on the judiciary at this historic time.”
However, different videos and pictures with the caption ALL EYES ON THE JUDICIARY is currently trending on X.
See a few of them:
Source: dailypost.ng
#Atiku
#Phrank Shaibu
#All Eyes On The Judiciary
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