Anti-Gay Law Is Nigerians' Wish' - Presidency

 

The Presidency has said the same-sex prohibition law is the wish of Nigerians.
Speaking yesterday during a live programme, stream, on international cable news network, AlJazeera English, Presidential spokesman Dr Reuben Abati said the bill dated back to 2007 and that Nigerians were carried along before it was passed into law, adding that the President did not arbitrarily sign the bill into law.
Abati said majority of Nigerians supported the bill which went through the required procedures before it was passed by the National Assembly and forwarded to the President for assent.
"It is not as if the President just woke up and just signed the bill into law. It is, in fact, a private member bill and the gentleman who sponsored it has been going round defending it. When he proposed the bill originally, it was supported by 25 other senators from different political parties.
"The law itself went through the normal procedures, in terms of hearings, in terms of receiving
memoranda from Nigerians. At the end of the day, the bill was supported by majority of Nigerians. It is a law in which the people have expressed confidence. Inside Nigeria, there is no controversy (over the law)," he said.
However, a gay rights activists, who also participated in the programme, argued that Jonathan signed the bill to gain more popularity, adding that the bill was anti-democratic.