Barely 24 hours after the United States government imposed additional visa restrictions on Nigerians whom it said are undermining the country’s democracy in the run-up to the September and October 2020 Edo and Ondo State elections, the United Kingdom has said it would take action against individuals who mastermind violence during the forthcoming governorship elections.
In a statement published on its Twitter handle on Tuesday, the British High Commission in Nigeria said the sanction could include restrictions on the eligibility of the affected politicians to travel to the UK, restrictions on access to UK-based assets, or prosecution under international law just as it did after the 2019 elections.
Catriona Laing, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, in the statement said she has held meetings with the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the Saturday governorship election in Edo State.
The commission explained that the parley focused on the need for the parties to prevail on their supporters to avoid violence before, during, and after the elections.
“The UK takes a strong stand against election-related violence and just as we did in the general election in 2019, we will continue to take action against individuals we identify as being responsible for violence during elections,” the statement said.
“This could include restrictions on their eligibility to travel to the UK, restrictions on access to UK-based assets or prosecution under international law,” it said.
The statement further said the UK welcomed the signing of a peace accord by the governorship candidates in the state.
The commission disclosed that it would be deploying observation missions to both Edo and Ondo polls while supporting civil society-led observation.
