The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and the Nigerian Guild of Editors have instituted legal action against the National Broadcasting Commission over its threat to sanction broadcasters accused of failing to maintain neutrality in their programmes.

The move follows a notice issued by the NBC on April 17, 2026, in which the commission warned that it would strictly enforce compliance with the sixth edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. The directive stated that sanctions would be imposed on broadcasters and presenters found in breach of provisions relating to news, current affairs, and political programming.

In response to the notice, SERAP had earlier called on President Bola Tinubu to instruct the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, to withdraw the directive. The organisation warned that it would resort to legal action if the issue was not addressed.

In a statement released on Sunday, SERAP confirmed that it had, alongside the Nigerian Guild of Editors, filed a lawsuit against the NBC at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday.

The legal team representing SERAP and the NGE will be led by prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana.

“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.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine whether the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code relied upon by the NBC to issue the threat are inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution as amended, as well as Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.

They are also seeking an interim injunction to restrain the NBC and its agents from imposing sanctions on broadcast stations and presenters under what they described 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.