Microblogging platform, Twitter, has in a surprise move that ostensibly has gladdened the hearts of Nigerians, pulled down President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweet which says he will deal with those causing trouble ‘in the language they will understand.”
Recall that the tweet generated mixed reactions with some Nigerians expressing shock at the President’s choice of words on his official Twitter handle.
President Buhari had, in the post that brought so much condemnation on the Presidency, said that many people misbehaving today did not experience the civil war.
“Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War.
“Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they will understand.”
The President’s statement no doubt elicited reactions with some media reports that so many people reported the tweet to Twitter, and described it as hate speech.
While pulling down the tweet, Twitter said, “This tweet violated Twitter rule.”
Many Nigerians saw the tweet as a genocidal threat especially such groups as the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Oduduwa, and the Middle Belt, fighting for self-determination.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has accused Twitter of unfair treatment of the government, accusing it of bias.
Lai Mohammed, the Minister for Information and National Orientation, who expressed the Federal Government’s displeasure wondered why Twitter did not pull down a number of tweets by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the Leader of IPOB, and the many tweets posted during the #EndSARS protest against Nigeria.
“Twitter may have its own rules; it’s not the universal rule. If Mr. President, anywhere in the world feels very bad and concerned about a situation, he is free to express such views.
“Now, we should stop comparing apples with oranges. If an organisation is proscribed, it is different from any other which is not proscribed.
“Two, any organisation that gives directives to its members, to attack police stations, to kill policemen, to attack correctional centres, to kill warders, and you are now saying that Mr. President does not have the right to express his dismay and anger about that? We are the ones guilty of double standards.
“I don’t see anywhere in the world where an organisation, a person will stay somewhere outside Nigeria and will direct his members to attack the symbols of authority, the police, the military, especially when that organisation has been proscribed. By whatever name, you can’t justify giving orders to kill policemen or to kill anybody you do not agree with.”
But in what looks like a mockery of President Buhari’s tweet, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, said on Wednesday, “When is Mr President, Buhari, using his power as Commander-in-chief to “show Twitter pepper” for deleting his tweets?
“Or Twitter will just delete our President’s tweets like this and there won’t be consequences?
“Nigeria is boiling everywhere and all that the President can do is to be threatening genocide up and down?
“Now that Twitter has dealt with our almighty President Buhari, won’t he “deal” with Twitter too? Like Trump, like Buhari.
“It is obvious that those exercising President Buhari’s powers for him do not know when and where to stop their power-madness.
“Regrettable, Twitter may not know that President Buhari is not the one operating any handle. Can our President operate Android Phone not to talk of making genocidal tweets?
“A president who cannot address his own people in time of crisis can certainly not be the one tweeting on the crisis.
“Twitter should rather hold Garba Shehu, Lie Mohammad and co accountable.”
