The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is facing a fierce legal and intellectual backlash following a new directive aimed at sanctioning broadcast stations and anchors who express personal opinions or "bully" guests.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a stern ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the notice, describing it as a direct violation of constitutional press freedom.
Speaking on Arise News on Monday, April 20, 2026, Dr. Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, labeled the directive a "conceptual failure."
Amadi argued that the NBC is overstepping its legal bounds, noting that previous court rulings have stripped the commission of the power to unilaterally fine or sanction stations.
“If regulators are allowed to punish anchors based on their own 'perception' of balance, the tool will eventually become a battering ram for the ruling party to suppress opposition voices,” Amadi warned.
Amadi maintained that the broadcast industry should be a "marketplace of ideas" where the audience decides what to watch.
He insisted that unless a broadcast causes clearly defined "public harm," the NBC has no right to act as a moral arbiter of opinion.
He concluded that until the commission becomes a truly non-partisan body, its current code serves as an unlawful instrument of censorship.
#FreeSpeech #NBC #PressFreedom #NigeriaNews #SERAP #Broadcasting #Censorship #SamAmadi #AriseNews
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