Former United States of America President Donald Trump has congratulated Nigeria for suspending the operations of Twitter in the country, saying the government should take steps further in including in its ban lists other social media giants regulating free speech on their platforms.
While commending the Nigerian government on what he described as a bold move, the controversial ex-leader called on more countries and world leaders to wield the big stcik and “ban Twitter and Facebook for not allowing free and open speech.”
Trump, through a statement yesterday, also regretted some actions he claimed to have failed in taking, saying he wish he had also banned the social media giant during his administration.
“Congratulations to the country of Nigeria, who just banned Twitter because they banned their President. More COUNTRIES should ban Twitter and Facebook for not allowing free and open speech – all voices should be heard,” the statememt said.
Trump, who had more than 60 million followers before his suspension, said that banning Twitter and Facebook would bring about competition in the social networking sites.
The former U.S. leader also expressed regrets for not taking action against them while he was president.
“In the meantime, competitors will emerge and take hold. Who are they to dictate good and evil if they themselves are evil?
“Perhaps, I should have done it while I was President. But Zuckerberg kept calling me and coming to the White House for dinner telling me how great I was,” Trump said.
Trump also made a veiled reference to his speculated 2024 presidential ambition by simply saying “2024?”
Twitter and Facebook had in January suspended Trump’s accounts indefinitely.
The two social networking sites claimed that he used the platforms to mobilise his followers to invade Capitol Hill over the outcome of the November 2020 presidential election after he lost.
Facebook had last Friday announced that it had banned Trump from its two platforms – Facebook and Instagram – for two years, effective Jan. 7, 2021.
Facebook, in a statement by
Nick Clegg, Vice-President of Global Affairs, cited “severe violation” after Capitol Hill riots of January 6 and that Trump’s accounts would only be reinstated if conditions permitted.
The former U.S. president had also opened his own personal website, www.donaldjtrump.com, to enable him continue reaching millions of his supporters.
