Nigerians await UK action, after U.S visa ban on 2023 electoral violators, as APC kicks

Ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the United States Government can afford to impose visa bans on selected Nigerians ‘because it is their country and they can do as they please.’

This is also as Nigerians have expressed the hope for the United Kingdom to double down on its earlier threat to sanction Nigerian politicians and other state actors who disrupted the 2023 general elections in the country.

APC, while reacting to Monday’s statement by the United States Secretary of State, Mr Antony Blinken of a visa restriction on some Nigerians indicted for their role in the 2023 poll following allegations of ‘intimidation of voters through threats and physical violence, the manipulation of vote results, and other activity that undermines Nigeria’s democratic process.’

The U.S statement titled; “Taking Steps to Impose Visa Restrictions on Individuals Involved in Undermining the Democratic Process During Nigeria’s 2023 Elections Cycle,” is also seen as fulfillment of an earlier promise by the U.S government back in March, this year, when it threatened to impose visa restrictions, among others on those who disrupt the democratic process in the country in the elections.

“The United States is committed to supporting and advancing democracy in Nigeria and around the world. Today, I am announcing that we have taken steps to impose visa restrictions on specific individuals in Nigeria for undermining the democratic process during Nigeria’s 2023 elections cycle. These actions are specific to certain individuals and are not directed at the Nigerian people or the Government of Nigeria as a whole.

“Under Section 212(a)(3)C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, these individuals will be subject to restrictions on visas to the United States under a policy covering those believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy. These individuals have been involved in intimidation of voters through threats and physical violence, the manipulation of vote results, and other activity that undermines Nigeria’s democratic process.

“The decision to take steps to impose visa restrictions reflects the continued commitment of the United States to support Nigerian aspirations to strengthen democracy and the rule of law,” Blinken said, Monday.

It would be recalled that the U.S government had in March, this year, expressed displeasure over what it described as ‘disturbing acts of violent voter intimidation and suppression that took place during those polls in Lagos, Kano, and other states’ arising from the February 25 presidential and March 11 governorship and state Assembly elections, across the country.

The US in reaction promised to take action by way of visa ban, among others, on those indicted in the acts.

“The United States is deeply troubled by the disturbing acts of violent voter intimidation and suppression that took place during those polls in Lagos, Kano, and other states.  Members of the U.S. diplomatic mission observed the elections in Lagos and elsewhere and witnessed some of these incidents first-hand.  The use of ethnically charged rhetoric before, during, and after the gubernatorial election in Lagos was particularly concerning. 

“We commend all Nigerian political actors, religious and community leaders, youth, and citizens who have chosen to reject and speak out against such violence and inflammatory language, affirming Nigerians’ commitment to and respect for the democratic process.

“We call on Nigerian authorities to hold accountable and bring to justice any individuals found to have ordered or carried out efforts to intimidate voters and suppress voting during the election process.  The United States likewise will consider all available actions, including additional visa restrictions, on individuals believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic process in Nigeria,” the US statement had read back in March.

Last Monday’s visa ban is, therefore, seen as a fulfillment of the threat by the government, even as some civil society government organisations claim also that the restriction is also proof that the 2023 polls was flawed.

However, as many hail the U.S action, they also expressed the hope that the United Kingdom will follow through on its own threat to punish electoral violators in the 2023 polls in Nigeria.

The UK Government had in March, this year, disclosed in a statement that it is collating relevant information regarding to taking action against Nigerians indicted for electoral offences including other anti-democratic behaviours and action.

According to the High Commission in Nigeria, while providing its position on the March 2023 governorship and State Assembly election conducted across the country by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it is based on what its teams observed in several states of the country.

The High Commission’s report titled; ‘UK Statement on Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections,’ said its position is informed by the report of its observer teams sent to Benue Enugu, Lagos, Oyo and Rivers states for the March 18 elections.

According to the UK Mission, while it observed ‘improvements around election logistics by INEC during the gubernatorial elections, particularly when compared to the Presidential elections,’ there were, however, ‘there were notable points of concern.’

The High Commission which hailed INEC for ensuring that more polling units opened on time, added that ‘there was greater evidence of BVAS and IREV working and results uploaded in real time from polling units and collation centres,’ which it stressed ‘are positive markers to build on for future elections.’

However, the High Commission said members of its observer teams ‘personally observed violence and voter suppression innumerous voting locations,’ adding further that it ‘witnessed and received credible reports from other observer missions and civil society organisations of vote buying and voter intimidation, the destruction and hijacking of election materials and the general disruption of the process in numerous states including Lagos, Enugu, and Rivers.’

“In addition, we observed incidents of harassment of journalist. Freedom of speech and a free press are crucial for a healthy democracy, and journalism must be able to go about their work without being threatened.

“The UK is concerned by the use of inflammatory ethno-religious language by some public and political figures. We call on all leaders not just to distance themselves from this kind of language, but to prevent those who speak on their behalf from doing so in this way,” the report stated.

The UK, therefore, warned that it is ‘prepared to take action against those who engage in or incite electoral violence and other anti-democratic behaviours, and action could include preventing people from obtaining UK visas or imposing sanctions under the human rights sanctions regime.’

“We can confirm that we are collating relevant information, with a view to taking action against some individuals,” the report quoted the UK Government as stating.

With the U.S already placing visa ban on indicted Nigerian electoral offenders, expectations now shifts to the UK, which Prime Minister, Mr. Rishi Sunak came under fire back in March barely hours after posting a congratulatory tweet via his verified Twitter handle to President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

It would be recalled that in late March, while reacting to the emergence of Tinubu as Nigeria’s President-elect, Mr. Sunak opted to use his personal Twitter handle (@RishiSunak) instead of through the country’s Mission in Nigeria to push his congratulatory message.

The UK leader in the message also expressed the hope to ‘grow our security and trade ties, opening up opportunities for businesses and creating prosperity’ in both countries under the tenure of Tinubu.

“Congratulations to @officialABAT on his victory in Nigeria.  

“The UK-Nigeria relationship remains strong. I look forward to working together to grow our security and trade ties, opening up opportunities for businesses and creating prosperity in both our countries,”  Sunak posted.

However, barely hours after Sunak’s message went live, a barrage of tweets from both Nigerians and Britons responded by berating the British PM for his action in ‘recognising a stolen mandate of the people.’

Meanwhile, spokesperson of the ruling APC and former of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, fresh from lambasting the British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Ben Llewellyn-Jones, last month, for ‘interfering in Nigeria’s domestic politics’ following the latter’s call to those inciting ethnic discord through hate speech to embrace peace, has dismissed the latest U.S visa ban, as ‘nothing to lose sleep over.’

Reacting to the decision by the US State Department to impose visa restriction on Nigerian indicted for anti-democratic practices during the 2023 election, Fani-Kayode, Tuesday, urged the ‘Nigerian Federal Government to consider the possibility of doing the same to nationals of those that have implemented and announced this measure and issue a visa ban to any foreign citizen or member of any corporate entity or institution that may have indulged in undermining democracy or rigging elections in either their own or any other country in the world over the last 25 years.’

“Those that have imposed a visa ban on some “selected Nigerians” for allegedly “undermining democracy” and “rigging elections” are perfectly within their rights to do so because it is their country and they can do as they please.

“We should loose (sic) no sleep over that because the Nigerian people, a great and sovereign people who belong to a great and sovereign nation, spoke loudly and clearly and made their legitmate choices during the course of a set of free, fair and credible elections which have, to the glory of God, produced a President-elect and a set of Governors-elect who will all be duly sworn-in according to law on the 29th of this month.

“Wherever any of those elections may have been rigged or democracy undermined can only be properly determined by our election tribunals and courts after all the facts and evidence have been adduced, examined and determined and not by any distant and/or partisan foreign government or power.

“It is also my view that foreign policy, which ought to be based on the principle of equality of nations and conducted on the basis of reciprocity, requires the Nigerian Federal Government to consider the possibility of doing the same to nationals of those that have implemented and announced this measure and issue a visa ban to any foreign citizen or member of any corporate entity or institution that may have indulged in undermining democracy or rigging elections in either their own or any other country in the world over the last 25 years.

“Courage, equity, justice, fairness and mutual respect demands no less.

“The irony of it all is that the President whose Government has issued a visa ban on selected Nigerians for rigging has himself been accused of the most blatant and shameful election rigging in the history of their country by no less than his predecessor in office and millions of his fellow countrymen.

“That is a pertinent observation and a relevant point.

“The truth is that the world is becoming less tolerant of double standards, double speak, neo-colonialism, pseudo-imperialism, the hypocrisy and interference of big, rich and powerful countries, who believe that they own and rule the world, in the affairs of less rich and less powerful ones and the practice of what Lord Palmerston, Great Britain’s 18th century Foreign Minister impudently and arrogantly enunciated and described as the implementation of a ‘paternalistic foreign policy’.

“African leaders generally and Nigerian leaders particularly are not mice. They do not scramble and scatter at the sound of a gong and they do not quiver or wet their pants in the face of a gratutious insult, threat or storm.

“Gone are the days when Africans or their leaders shiver under their bedsheets and seek validation from more often than not ill-informed and ill-advised foreign Government officials with local vested interests and misplaced, malevolent intentions.

“Gone are the days when we sold our souls for a pittance or our people as slaves for mirrors and a bottle of “fire water” whisky.

“We are no longer configured to fear mere mortals. We have learnt that God alone is to be feared. That He alone is our shield and defender. That He alone is our glory.

That He alone is the lifter of our heads. That He alone rules in the affairs of men and that He alone forges the destiny of nations.

“No nation on earth, no matter how rich and powerful, can thwart the will of the God of all flesh for our people or undermine the purpose of the Lord of creation for our country.

“All the visa bans in the world cannot change that,” Fani-Kayode said.