Visa ban: US embassy says restriction not for newly elected Nigerian politicians
- The United States (US) embassy has revealed the category of Nigerian politicians to be affected by its visa ban
- The embassy said that the restriction is only for those who violated Nigeria's democratic principles during the last general elections
- The spokesman of the embassy, Morgan Ortagus, stressed that the ban is not for elected government officials
The United States (US) government, through its embassy and consulate in Nigeria, has said that its visa ban will affect only politicians in the country who have cases of electoral crimes during the last general elections.
According to a statement signed by the embassy's spokesman, Morgan Ortagus, the ban is not for newly elected government officials, but specifically for those who through their activities tried to undermine Nigeria's democracy during the polls.
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The statement partly read: “The secretary of state is imposing visa restrictions on Nigerians believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Nigeria. These individuals have operated with impunity at the expense of the Nigerian people and undermined democratic principles and human rights."
Moreover, the embassy decried the actions of such politicians who through their violence, intimidation, or corruption harmed Nigerians.
The statement further said: "The Department of State emphasizes that the actions are specific to certain individuals and not directed at the Nigerian people or the newly elected government.
"This decision reflects the Department of State’s commitment to working with the Nigerian government to realize its expressed commitment to end corruption and strengthen democracy, accountability, and respect for human rights."
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the February 23 poll, Atiku Abubakar, had said the visa restriction placed on Nigerian politicians believed to have been responsible for undermining democracy in Nigeria by the US State Department validated his claims that the general elections were rigged.
Atiku in a statement on Wednesday, July 24, by his special adviser on media, Paul Ibe, said in the aftermath of the “daylight robbery that occurred on election day”, Buhari’s regime and its allies went into a propaganda overdrive to deny the obvious.
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Source: Legit.ng
