Last week, the Nigeria authorities banned Twitter indefinitely, a development which many observers consider a concerning move, since the social media giant is seen as a vital tool for the country’s civil society.
But former US President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a statement applauding the decision of the Nigerian government. His backing of Nigeria is, however, quite understandable.
He said: “Congratulations to Nigeria, who just banned Twitter because they banned their president,” Trump said.
Twitter did not, in fact, ban Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. The company, instead, deleted a tweet which threatened separatists in southeastern Nigeria.
That was enough for Trump, who used the incident to call for more countries to follow Nigeria’s lead and restrict access to Twitter and Facebook, both of which he currently has no access to, “for not allowing free and open speech.”
He then said “perhaps, I should have done it while I was president,” but suggested he never did because Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg frequently complimented him while he was in office before finishing the statement.
