72 Hours After Reopening Of Twitter, Buhari, Osinbajo Shun Microblogging Platform

More than 72 hours after the Federal Government announced the lifting of the ban on Twitter, the President, Muhammadu Buhari is yet to tweet.

Several media aides of the President have resumed using the platform since the ban was lifted last Thursday, except the President himself and the Vice President, who only re-tweeted updates about Saturday’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day from handles of the Nigerian Army and that of the Government of Nigeria.

In the early hours of January 13, 2021, the regime officially lifted the seven-month ban on Twitter.

According to a statement signed by the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency and Chairman Technical Committee Nigeria-Twitter Engagement, Kashifu Abdullahi, hours earlier, the U.S. company had agreed to meet all the conditions set by the government.

The Microblogging platform was suspended in Nigeria on June 5, 2021, two days after it deleted a tweet by the President.

The Federal Government also accused Twitter of double standards and amplifying the voice of secessionists in the country.

In a statement at the time, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, cited “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”

Since June, the Federal Government and Twitter representatives have been negotiating over several vital issues, including Twitter’s registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission and opening a physical office in Nigeria.