Trending 
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over its threats to sanction broadcasters who fail to maintain neutrality.
In a notice issued on April 17, 2026, the NBC warned that it would enforce strict compliance and impose sanctions for breaches of the sixth edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code in news, current affairs, and political programming by broadcasters and presenters.
Following the directive, SERAP urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, to withdraw the NBC’s notice, warning that it would take legal action if the matter was not resolved.
BREAKING: 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…
— SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) April 26, 2026
In a statement issued on Sunday, the rights group said it, alongside the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), had filed a lawsuit against the NBC at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana will lead SERAP and the NGE’s legal team.
“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 statement read in part.
SERAP and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) are asking the court to determine whether provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, as relied upon by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to threaten broadcasters, are inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
They are also seeking an interim injunction restraining the NBC and its agents from imposing sanctions on broadcast stations and presenters under what they describe as the “patently unlawful provisions” of the sixth edition of the Broadcasting Code, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed alongside the suit.
