Fayose faults plan to make hate speech treasonable, says; it is plot to silence opposition



Ekiti Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has faulted the categorisation of hate speeches as act of terrorism, by the federal government, saying, “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.”



The governor, who accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the number one promoter and beneficiary of hate speeches in the country, noted that; “When the APC was looking for power, several provocative statements were made. Nigerians are yet to forget President Muhammadu Buhari’s ‘the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood’ hate speeches and the threat by the APC to form a parallel government.”

In a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Friday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose, who said he was totally against hate speech and will support any effort to curb it, added that it was important to caution the federal government on the danger inherent in the blanket categorisation of hate speech as treasonable. 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.”

The governor counselled that rather than blanket criminalising of hate speeches, the federal government should embark on reorientation of Nigerians, especially the youths on the consequences of hate speeches to the unity of the country and restore the confidence of the people in the government. The statement read; “I wish to express concern over the pronouncement of the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo that hate speech will henceforth be treated as terrorism.

“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.

“I only hope Nigeria is not being systematically returned to the colonial days when the law of sedition was used to jail many of those who fought for our independence or the era of Buhari’s military regime when the notorious Public Officers (Protection against False accusation) Decree 4 of 1984 was used to jailTunde Thompson and NdukaIrabor, both of The Guardian newspapers for publishing what the government termed as false.

“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.

“It should therefore not be seen that since the use of corruption to harass, arrest and detain opposition figures is no longer fashionable, hate speech will now be another instrument of oppression to be used against opposition.

“The questions that must be answered by the federal government are; what constitutes hate speech andwho determines it? Has the Presidency becomes law unto itself such that it is now the one to determine what is an offense and what punishment to be applied? “From all intent and purposes, the Acting President pronouncement which is obviously not backed by any legislation is an attempt to provide reasons for an impending clampdown on opposition and Nigerians will resist any attempt to mortgage their fundamental rights to freedom of expression under the guise of hate speeches.

“When the APC was looking for power, several provocative statements were made. Nigerians are yet to forget President Buhari’s “the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood” hate speeches and the threat by the APC to form a parallel government. “What can be more treasonable than these statements made by President Buhari and his party?

“It is also on record that during the 2011 election campaign, President Buhari’s inciting statement led to widespread violence by his supporters in the North after he lost. Over 1000 people were slaughtered in cold blood, including innocent National Youth Service Corp members.

“Therefore, 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. “Also, rather than this blanket criminalising of hate speeches, the federal government should embark on reorientation of Nigerians, especially the youths on the consequences of hate speeches to the unity of the country while the confidence of the people in the government (at all levels) must be restored.”
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  1. Fayose, you are absolutely right.

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  2. It is like this foolish governor has lost his mind..does he not understand the meaning of ' from now on ' 'henceforth ' ?? Please who is the opposition? Arewa Youth? Ipob? Oduduwa or Niger Delta Militants?? Who biko??? Very daft..it is obvious, u are d architect of hate speeches..Weldone

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  3. fayose, ffk, nmdi KANU, dokubo r d architect of hate speach.
    its unfortunate dat dis man fayose fail diff btwn hate speach n opposition speech.
    I pity intelligent ekity pp.

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  4. Governor fayose is insincere. He was the number one hate speaking politician. Right from the run up to 2015 elections. One of his evils was his obituary advert in sun and punch daily newspapers. The controversial dog and baboon talk which he referred to was not even made during the 2015 elections as claimed by fayose's late. What a hatchet man, just to appear to be working. Let's should rather engage himself in research to profer to his boss good ideas to help him out of his dismal tenure out of which I the only thing he has achieved is criticizing and abusing Buhari. All his failure is blamed on buhari. What has he done in Ekiti? Is it not possible for a State to be made to have a good economy which is exclusive of the effort of the federal government? Fayose complaining the what the erudite professor of law, acting president Osibanjo said he said an effort to silence opposition means that he knows nothing about roburst opposition as ingredient of democracy. He thinks democracy is that gragra which he grew up learning at the motor park. He wants his stock in trade, hate speech to continue because he can not find any other way of gaining pseudorelevance among his crowd of his foolish majority who even in timidit even call him leader off opposition. What sort of opposition is a talkative like him leading.

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    1. It will do u a good favour if u had read d speech line by line and understand where d gov is heading to rather ur personal hatred. 'My people perish for lack of knowledge'.How do u categorize hate speech? How do u determine d punishment? Is quit notice issued by Arewa youth not one of it?u re just a fool or mumu

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    2. Don't mind him, He cannot obviously see beyond the tip of his nose.

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  5. Fayose has make a hate speach as his tools for campaigning, he don't have another way for campaign apart from hate speachs . A vibrant opposition cannot kick against banning of hate speachs in 2015 PMB did not said anything like that rather it's Asari Dokubo /Takumbo and his militants group threatening that if Jonathan fail for 2015 election they will make this country ungovernable and we have experienced blowing up of pipe line.

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