2019: US, UK threaten visa ban on Nigerian election riggers

The United States and the United Kingdom have warned that politicians, who instigate violence or are involved in electoral fraud, will be refused visas to enter their countries.

In statements issued by the US Embassy and British High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on Thursday, both governments called for free and fair elections, announcing that politicians working towards scuttling the exercise would not only face a number of sanctions but would also have their family members face visa bans to the US and the UK.

The two countries pledged their commitment to ensuring free and fair elections in the country, saying the 2019 elections “is important not only for Nigeria, but for the African continent.”

These statements are coming on the heels of agitation among politicians and particularly former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who in his latest 16-page letter, had expressed doubt on the readiness and capability to conduct free and fair election.