The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have filed a lawsuit against the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), challenging its recent directive threatening sanctions against broadcasters and presenters.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and NGE General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh.
According to the groups, the suit contests what they described as an “arbitrary, unconstitutional, and unlawful” formal notice issued by the NBC, which warned journalists and presenters against “expressing personal opinions as facts,” “bullying or intimidating guests,” and failing to maintain neutrality.
The statement reads, “SERAP and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have filed a lawsuit against the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over the arbitrary, unconstitutional, and unlawful ‘Formal Notice’, which threatens to sanction broadcast stations and presenters for allegedly ‘expressing personal opinions as facts, bullying or intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality.’
“The NBC had recently threatened to sanction broadcast stations and presenters who ‘express personal opinions as facts’ or ‘bully and intimidate guests,’ claiming it had ‘identified a sustained increase in breaches of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code across news, current affairs, and political programmes.’”
The case, marked FHC/L/CS/854/2026, was filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos. SERAP and NGE are asking the court to determine whether provisions of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code cited by the NBC are inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), is expected to lead a team of senior lawyers representing both organisations in the matter.
The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that the provisions relied upon by the NBC are vague, overly broad, and infringe on constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of expression and media freedom.
The statement added, “SERAP and NGE are asking the court for a declaration that the provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code used by the NBC are vague and overly broad and constitute a fundamental breach of freedom of expression and media freedom guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards.”
They are also requesting an interim injunction restraining the NBC and its agents from enforcing sanctions based on the contested provisions, pending the court’s determination of the suit.
“SERAP and NGE are also seeking an order of interim injunction restraining the NBC, its agents or privies, whether jointly or severally or any other authority, from imposing sanctions on broadcast stations and presenters based on the patently unlawful provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed simultaneously in this suit,” the statement concluded.
