Groups want EU, UK to emulate US on visa ban

The Permanent Representative of the Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity (CCDI) to the United Nations, Mr Olufemi Aduwo, has called on the European Union and the United Kingdom to join the United States in placing a visa restriction on individuals found complicit in undermining democratic process during the 2019 elections.

Aduwo, while reacting on Friday to the US visa ban on unnamed politicians over their negative role in the last election, described the decision as commendable and tasked the US to include top notch in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), military and police who played “ignoble roles in the elections.”

Aduwo, who doubles as the president of Rights Monitoring Group (RMG), said CCDI and RMG would forward names of top official in INEC, military and police who ought to be similarly punished.

“The United States’ decision indicates that the judiciary and adjudication system is weak and polluted. As a valuable friend of US Embassy, my organisations shall forward more names of officials in lNEC, police and military who should be punished with visa restrictions as well.

“Regardless of the outcome of the petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, against President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election, the visa ban has confirmed that the 2019 presidential election did not reflect the wishes freely expressed by Nigerians.

“President Buhari should feel concerned. This is the first time the US government will issue such an order since 1999 when the country returned to civil administration. Buhari may not be involved, but he should be patriotic enough, like the late President Umar Yar’Adua who condemned his own election result in 2007.

“We appeal to President Buhari to drop any ministerial nominees or appointees who names are on the visa restriction list. The office of the president knows the appropriate channel to be used and get the affected names,” Aduwo said.

A spokesperson of the US Department of State, Ms Morgan Ortagus, had announced in a statement on Tuesday, that the visa restriction applies to those responsible for election-related violence.

Ortagus said the unnamed individuals had “operated  with impunity  at the expense  of the Nigerian  people and undermined  democratic principles  and human rights,” he said