Any politician seen encouraging violence in the elections would face visa restrictions, the United Kingdom has reaffirmed.
When pushing Nigerians to cast their ballots for their preferred candidate in large numbers on Channels Television, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, said: “We are prepared to take action on anyone who instigates election violence, and other anti-democratic behaviors.
“The visa ban is one of our strategies; we’ll deny them a visa to enter the UK. We also have additional penalties related to human rights. We are keeping a careful eye on it because it applies to anybody and is not directed at any particular political party or person. We have already used these tools with our American counterparts, and we are ready to do so once more.
“Everyone has an interest in a fair and legitimate election, particularly if it’s taking place in Nigeria. Hence, we are merely doing our lot to aid Nigeria’s democratic transition.
When asked what the UK’s greatest concern was regarding the elections, she responded, “My greatest concern is post-election insecurity, and we have pushed the heads of political parties to speak to the supporters. We will have a peaceful nation if we can get through that. Nigeria has the support of the whole international community, including the UK.
By assembling a strong, diverse team that includes women and young people and by reaching out to different political parties, she persuaded the new president to make the economy a primary priority.
