SERAP Sues Tinubu For ‘Banning’ 25 Journalists Covering State House

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the President Bola Tinubu led administration over “the unlawful ban and withdrawal of the accreditations of 25 journalists and media houses from covering the Presidential Villa.”

According to reports, the Federal Government on 18 August 2023 withdrew the accreditation tags of some 25 journalists and media houses from covering activities at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The affected journalists were told at the main gate of the Presidential Villa to submit their accreditation tags.

However, SERAP said the ban failed “to meet the requirements of legality, necessity, and proportionality.”

In a suit (number FHC/L/CS/1766/23) filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP seeks: “an order to direct and compel President Tinubu to reverse the revocation of the accreditations and ban on 25 journalists and media houses from covering the Presidential Villa.”

Also, SERAP is seeking: “an order of perpetual injunction to restrain President Tinubu or any other authority, person or group of persons from arbitrarily and unilaterally revoking the accreditations of any journalists and media houses from covering the Presidential Villa and “a declaration that the withdrawal and revocation of accreditation tags and ban on the journalists and media houses from covering the Presidential Villa without any lawful justifications is inconsistent with the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, participation, and media freedom.”

In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: “If not reversed, the arbitrary ban on the journalists from covering the Presidential Villa would open the door to other cases of arbitrariness and would restrict people’s right to freedom of expression, access to information, participation, and media freedom.”

SERAP is also arguing that, “The withdrawal of the accreditation accreditations of the journalists is without any lawful justifications. It is inconsistent and incompatible with plurality of voices, diversity of voices, non-discrimination, and just demands of a democratic society, as well as the public interest.”

The suit was filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), Kolawole Oluwadare, and Ms Valentina Adegoke, read in part: “The media plays an essential role as a vehicle or instrument for the exercise of freedom of expression and access to information – in its individual and collective aspects – in a democratic society.”

“The existence of a free, independent, vigorous, pluralistic, and diverse media is essential for the proper functioning of a democratic society.”