2023 Elections: Like 2019, US announces visa restrictions on Nigerians undermining democracy
The United States has announced visa restrictions for those involved in undermining Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2023 general election.
The U.S Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, revealed this in a tweet on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.
He wrote: “To support Nigeria’s upcoming elections, today I am announcing visa restrictions for those involved in undermining democracy in Nigeria. The United States supports Nigerian aspirations to combat corruption and strengthen democracy and the rule of law.”
Nigeria is set to have a historic general election in February and March 2023 in a continuation of an uninterrupted fourth republic which began with the return to democracy in 1999.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s two-term in office will end in four months’ time and he has promised a free, fair and credible election.
The US is one of Nigeria’s main diplomatic and economic allies and has called for a peaceful transition of power in 2023.
In 2019, shortly after the presidential election which was won by Buhari, the US issued a similar visa restriction on individuals it said it has identified as sabotaging Nigeria’s democratic process.
Although the names of the individual affected in 2019 were not mentioned, the US said their actions affected the country’s human rights record and democratic processes.
The 2023 presidential election is being touted as a three-horse race between former vice president, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and former Anambra governor, Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
