Hate speech is speech that attacks a person or group on the basis of attributes such as race, religion, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity (Wikipedia).

Numerous legal scholars have put forward quite a number of definitions about the term ‘hate speech’. Unsurprisingly, all of these legal scholars have sought, explicitly or implicitly, to define a legal concept of hate speech to mean a concept that refers to speech that is, or has been at one time or could be in the future, lead to incitement of hatred.

Though social media has immensely improve our political participations on part of the youths in Nigeria in the recent year most especially in the 2015 general elections,where we can air our view on any topics on facebook, twitter, google plus, nairaland and many more of such social media we have have around.

Despite the freedom of speech being a fundamental human right in major climes of the world and Nigeria inclusive, efforts need being made to curtail words that can incite one ethnic group against the other.

Hate speech has been a major part of our democracy, you will remember the different documentaries that was aired preceding the 2015 general elections, the campaigns of hatred on social media and many more. I dare say that hate speeches were part of the elements through which power was wrestled from People Democratic Party under His Excellency, Goodluck Jonathan, most especially from the youths, speech or post like Clueless president, Shoe-less president, Mumu president and so on are trending words on the pages of our social media.

Now another elections year is fast approaching, hate speeches have started flying up and down justifiably so because the youths or let me many Nigerians were angered by the below par performances of the present administration based on a million and one promises made during their campaigns.

Though i am not clamoring for hate speeches, but a critical assessment of the performance of the present administration and not the personality of the president should be advocated. More so, the present administration should see criticism as tools for improvements and their efforts to gag the people from expressing their opinions should be resisted by all Nigerians.

Recently, we heard of the arrest of the Premium Times Managing Directors, Mr. Sunday Ogundipe (though now released) for airing his views on issues which is passive to be damaging to a key figure in this administration and arrest of 112 women from Imo State for a peaceful protest, such should not be allowed to have root in our democracy. THIS IS NOT THE CHANGE WE WANT.
https://www.studentssupport.com.ng/2018/08/hate-speech-on-social-media.html