By Edoamaowo Udeme
23 days to the Presidential and National Assembly elections and 37 days to the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections, The Unites States and the United Kingdom , have vowed to restrict the visas of those found wanting in regards to election malpractice and violence in the upcoming 2019 elections in Nigeria.
According to a press statement issued in Abuja yesterday, the US government said it will be paying close attention to actions of individuals who interfere in the democratic process or instigate violence against the civilian population before, during, or after the elections.
“We will not hesitate to consider consequences – including visa restrictions – for those found to be responsible for election-related violence or undermining the democratic process”
“Under U.S. immigration law, certain violations may also lead to restrictions on family members”.
” The US government welcomes the peace accord signed by the Nigerian candidates as the conduct of the upcoming elections is important not only for Nigeria, but for the African continent”.
“While we do not support any specific candidate or party in Nigeria’s upcoming elections we supports the Nigerian democratic process itself”.
” We support a genuinely free, fair, transparent, and peaceful electoral process”.
Similary, The British High Commission in Abuja while reaffirming its strong support for free, fair and peaceful elections in Nigeria stressed that they will be deploying an extensive observation mission for the forthcoming elections, including coordinating with the EU’s Election Observation Mission.
“We will like to remind all Nigerians that where the UK is aware of such attempts, this may have consequences for individuals. These could include their eligibility to travel to the UK, their ability to access UK based funds or lead to prosecution under international law”.
“We and our international partners remain committed supporters of Nigeria’s democracy and do not support any party or individual”.
It also noted that the UK government believe that the Nigerian people should be able to choose their leaders in an environment free from hate speech and insecurity.
“Our monitors will in particular be looking out for any attempts to encourage or use violence to influence the elections, including on social media”.
“We continue to provide significant support to Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission and to Nigerian civil society to help them deliver credible elections”.
“We also regularly engage with actors across the political spectrum to encourage them to respect electoral rules and maintain an atmosphere of peace and calm” it added
“The UK is a friend and partner of Nigeria. We hope our continued support will play a role in helping Nigeria take a further step towards consolidating the progress made since democracy returned in 1999”
