Ololade Adeyanju/
Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, has reacted to the publication by The PUNCH in which the newspaper said it would henceforth prefix President Muhammadu Buhari’s name with his rank as a military dictator in the 80s in all its publications in protest against the rising disregard for the rule of law by his administration.
The newspaper in an editorial entitled ‘Buhari’s lawlessness: Our stand’, published today, said it would also refer to the Buhari administration as a regime until it purged itself of ”contempt for the rule of law”.
Adesina in a tweet this morning said the decision of the newspaper was not out of place because Buhari earned his rank as a military General.
Adesina, who is a former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, also said the fact that the newspaper could choose to do so testified to the presence of press freedom in the country.
See tweet:
”As a symbolic demonstration of our protest against autocracy and military-style repression, PUNCH (all our print newspapers, The PUNCH, Saturday PUNCH, Sunday PUNCH, PUNCH Sports Extra, and digital platforms, most especially Punchng.com) will henceforth prefix Buhari’s name with his rank as a military dictator in the 80s, Major General, and refer to his administration as a regime, until they purge themselves of their insufferable contempt for the rule of law,” the newspaper further wrote.
The Buhari administration has been widely criticised for its disdain for the principle of separation of powers and other democratic norms.
It has also been accused of wilfully disobeying court orders, the latest of which was the rearrest of activist, Omoyele Sowore, inside court premises 24 hours after his release on bail.
He has now been kept for over 24 hours by the State Security Service without any charges.
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