Telecom Operators Restore Access After 7 Months Over Twitter Restoration

Without the help of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) on Thursday, Nigerians were able to access Twitter, a micro-blogging platform, banned in the country early June last year, TODAY POLITICS observed. The restored access came after the social media networking giant accepted the conditions handed to it by the Nigerian government which announced the lifting of the ban Wednesday evening.

One of the conditions reached by the parties is the empowerment of government officials to censor online ‘prohibited’ contents.

The regime had instructed telecom operators in the country to barred access to the social network but many Nigerians opted for the VPN to circumvent the ban despite being threatened with prosecution.

Twitter became inaccessible after the federal government alleged that subversive elements were using the platform to undermine the country’s sovereignty, a claim many Nigerians disputed, saying the deletion of President Muhammadu Buhari tweet deemed genocidal necessitated it.

Critics argue that the government was reacting to the bruise ego of the president which Twitter said violated its community standard. The international community also joined in condemning the ban, advising the government to backtrack, an advise the regime paid deaf ears to.

The ban lasted for 222 days, slightly some days above seven months but Nigerians are attributing the lifting to the closeness of the general election where politicians and political parties reach out to the people using the social media.

Presidential spokesmen and other government officials who tweeted early Thursday morning were seen by TODAY POLITICS describing the development as a victorious feat by the regime.