The United States and the United
Kingdom have announced repercussions, including visa restrictions, for election
interference and election-related violence in Nigeria.
This was announced in a statement
issued on Thursday.
Both countries described the
elections as very important to not just Nigeria but Africa, demanding that the
process be fair and transparent.
“The conduct of the upcoming
elections in Nigeria is important not only for Nigeria, but for the African
continent,” the US mission in Nigeria said in a statement.
“The United States government
does not support any specific candidate or party in Nigeria’s upcoming
elections. The United States supports the Nigerian democratic process itself.
We support a genuinely free, fair, transparent, and peaceful electoral process.
“We, and other democratic nations,
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.”
In its statement, the UK said it
remains committed to free and fair elections in Nigeria.
It promised to support the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in order to make the exercise
credible.
“Twenty-three days to the
Presidential and National Assembly elections and 37 days to the Gubernatorial
and State Assembly elections, the British High Commission in Abuja would like
to reaffirm our strong support for free, fair and peaceful elections in
Nigeria,” the statement read.
“We and our international
partners remain committed supporters of Nigeria’s democracy. We do not support
any party or individual and believe that the Nigerian people should be able to
choose their leaders in an environment free from hate speech and insecurity.
“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. We will
be deploying an extensive observation mission for the forthcoming elections,
including coordinating with the EU’s Election Observation Mission.
“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 would 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.”
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