The injunction preventing President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from revoking the licences of 53 broadcast stations in the nation and closing down the stations for allegedly failing to renew their licences has been extended by the Federal High Court in Lagos.

After hearing the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors’ (NGE), argument on a motion ex parte, Justice Akintayo Aluko (Court 8) on August 29, 2022, issued an order of interim injunction.

The order was granted pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.

When the case came up yesterday before the Court for hearing ,  Justice Daniel Emeka Osiagor extended the order of interim injunction pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice, and adjourned the case to 26th October 2022 for the hearing of the originating summons.

The court extended the order of interim injunction following the hearing of an argument by SERAP and NGE counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN.

SERAP and NGE had in August filed a lawsuit against Buhari and NBC, asking the court for “a declaration that section 10(a) of the Third Schedule to the NBC Act used by NBC to threaten to revoke the licenses of 53 broadcast stations and to shut down the stations is unconstitutional and unlawful, as it violates freedom of expression.”

In the suit, SERAP and NGE had asked the court for “an order of interim injunction restraining Buhari and NBC, their agents from revoking the licenses of 53 broadcast stations in the country and shutting down operations, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed contemporaneously in this suit.”

The suit followed the decision by NBC to revoke the licenses of the 53 broadcast stations and shut down their operations within 24 hours over alleged N2.6 billion debt.

In suit number FHC/L/CS/1582/2022, SERAP and NGE are asking the court to determine “whether section 10(a) of the Third Schedule to the NBC Act used by NBC to threaten to revoke the licenses of 53 broadcast stations and shut them down is not in inconsistent with freedom of expression and access to information.”

SERAP and NGE are also seeking a declaration that section 10(a) of the National Broadcasting Act used by NBC to unilaterally revoke the licenses of the broadcast stations and shutdown the stations is a violation of the constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to a fair hearing.

The suit read in part: “The provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties on freedom of expression indicate that this right can be exercised through any medium.

“Effectively, these provisions recognize that every individual has the right to an equal opportunity to receive, seek and impart information through any communication medium without discrimination.

“The use of NBC Act and Code, in this case, would inadmissibly open the door to arbitrariness and would fundamentally restrict the freedom of expression that is an integral part of the public order protecting the Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party.”

It was noted that in a democratic society, the media is a crucial tool or vehicle for the exercise of both individual and collective freedoms of expression and information.

Additionally, it said that the media’s duty is to disseminate all kinds of information and viewpoints on topics of general interest.

The general public has a right to learn about and evaluate this information and views on their own. A democratic society must therefore have a free, independent, active, pluralistic, and diversified media in order to function properly.

“According to the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, ‘licensing processes shall seek to promote diversity in broadcasting. Any registration system for the media shall not impose substantive restrictions on the right to freedom of expression.

“Revoking the licenses of 53 broadcast stations and shutting down their operations because they have not renewed their licenses would both seriously undermine the rights of millions of Nigerians to express their thoughts, and their right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds, in any medium they choose.

“Freedom of expression includes the public’s right to receive, and the right of those who express themselves through a medium of communication, to impart the greatest possible diversity of information and ideas.

“The media including the affected 53 broadcast stations play an essential role, as they allow millions of Nigerians to access both the relevant information and a variety of perspectives that are necessary for reaching reasonable and informed conclusions on matters of public interest.”