US, UK visa sanction threat resonating with PDP

Recently, the United States of America and the United Kingdom announced repercussions, including visa restrictions, for those who may unduly interfere in the coming elections or instigate violence, including through the social media. The world powers, like many other concerned observers, are worried that things may go awry with the elections, especially from the point of view of those harbouring schemes to manipulate the process to achieve certain ends.

There is definitely some coordination between the two western countries as could be seen from the simultaneous issuance of their statements shared together on their social media platforms. Both were blunt and unambiguous about their intentions.

The US statement read: “The conduct of the upcoming elections in Nigeria is important not only for Nigeria, but for the African continent. The US government does not support any specific candidate or party in Nigeria’s upcoming elections. The US supports the Nigerian democratic process itself. We support a genuinely free, fair, transparent, and peaceful electoral process.

“We and other democratic nations will be paying close attention to actions of individuals who interfere in the democratic process or instigate violence against the civilian population before, during, or after the elections. We will not hesitate to consider consequences – including visa restrictions – for those found to be responsible for election-related violence or undermining the democratic process. Under US Immigration Law, certain violations may also lead to restrictions on family members. We welcome the signing of peace pledges by Nigerian candidates and their commitment to a peaceful electoral process.”

The UK government was no less pungent in its admonishment of the Nigerian political class as it said: “23 days to the presidential and National Assembly elections and 37 days to the gubernatorial and state Assembly elections, the British High Commission in Abuja would like to reaffirm our strong support for free, fair and peaceful elections in Nigeria. We and our international partners remain committed supporters of Nigeria’s democracy. We do not support any party or individual and believe that the Nigerian people should be able to choose their leaders in an environment free from hate speech and insecurity.

“We continue to provide significant support to Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and to Nigerian civil society to help them deliver credible elections. We also regularly engage with actors across the political spectrum to encourage them to respect electoral rules and maintain an atmosphere of peace and calm. We will be deploying an extensive observation mission for the forthcoming elections, including coordinating with the EU’s Election Observation Mission. Our monitors will in particular be looking out for any attempts to encourage or use violence to influence the elections, including on social media.

“We would like to remind all Nigerians that where the UK is aware of such attempts, this may have consequences for individuals. These could include their eligibility to travel to the UK, their ability to access UK-based funds or lead to prosecution under international law. The UK is a friend and partner of Nigeria. We hope our continued support will play a role in helping Nigeria take a further step towards consolidating the progress made since democracy returned in 1999.”

The position of the two countries resonated with the opposition that had consistently expressed fears that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressive Congress (APC) administration is preparing to rig rather than campaign for the election. Last September, National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, alleged plans by the President Buhari administration to rig rather than campaign for the election.

Secondus said this while speaking with the European Union (EU) officials, led by Ambassador Ms Beatrice Markussion, Deputy Director of Africa Division, EU External Action Services, at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

According to him, intelligence available to the party revealed that the government and the electoral commission were allegedly plotting to rig the election. “Our major concern is that INEC and security agencies are working hand in hand to rig the election for the APC,” he told the delegation. However, APC dismissed the opposition as crying wolf where there is none.

A month later, Secondus told another delegation of the EU Election Exploration Mission to Nigeria, led by Niclay Paus, that PDP was not comfortable with the activities of INEC, citing the presence of Mrs Amina Zakari, a relation of President Buhari, as being in the thick of things of the commission. The PDP national chairman maintained that APC had concluded arrangement with the electoral body to manipulate the electoral process and accused Zakari of being the hatchet person for the government’s plot. This is despite INEC’s assurances that it would be neutral and the election would be free and fair.

“Our fear is strong that APC and the administration are not disposing themselves for a peaceful 2019 general election and we base our position on the multiplicity of induced crisis across the country,” Secondus declared on that occasion, as he urged international partners of Nigeria, especially EU and the US to bring their influence to bear on INEC to conduct free, fair and credible elections.

PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, holds the same opinion which necessitated his call on Nigerians “not to allow President Buhari to steal their votes” in the February 16, presidential election. “President Buhari has stolen your jobs. He has stolen your rights. Don’t let him steal your votes. They are preparing the ground to steal your votes,” he alleged in a recent address.

The US, UK’s action came on the heels of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s alarm over the negative trend of events concerning the coming elections. He analysed the activities of INEC and concluded that the electoral body may be perfecting plans to rig the election for the party in power. He specifically requested for sanctions from the Western powers for anyone involved in this act, including visa restrictions.

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Obasanjo had said: “I personally have serious doubt about the present INEC’s integrity, impartiality and competence to conduct a fair, free and credible election. And if INEC is willing, will the ruling party and government allow it? From what we saw and knew about the Osun State gubernatorial election, what was conclusive was declared inconclusive, despite all advice to the contrary.”

Though the Federal Government welcomed the threat of sanctions by the world powers, it believes that it should be directed at PDP, which it maintains is the party planning to rig the election. Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said, in response to the statements by UK and US, that the APC administration is keen on conducting a free, fair and credible election and had, in fact, drawn the attention of the world to an alleged plot by the opposition, working with terrorists, to truncate the election to pave way for an interim national government.

Mohammed believes that the US/UK declaration was a direct response to the alarm he raised as he said, ‘’A few days ago, we alerted the nation to the plot by the opposition to orchestrate widespread violence in the country, using insurgents and criminal elements within and outside the country. Their plan is to scuttle the election and then push for an interim government, having realised they can’t win a free, fair, credible and peaceful election.

“The fact that those statements came after we issued our red alert, which is based on credible intelligence, shows that the international community is closely monitoring events ahead of the election. We urge them to keep a close tab on the desperate opposition, whose language, actions and undisguised threats are antithetical to the conduct of peaceful polls.’’

Despite the claim of the Federal Government, observers are of the view that PDP must be reassured that its hue and cry to the international community have not gone unattended to as the threat is an indication that the world have their eyes and ears in the electoral process. Therefore, whoever has the intention to circumvent the election would now be a little more circumspect, knowing that stringent consequences await such infractions.