Headlines
We will punish anyone responsible for election-related violence in Nigeria –US
By YUSUF MOHAMMED
The United States has reinstated its commitment to punish anyone who is found responsible for violence during and after the 2019 general elections in Nigeria.
Before the Presidential and National Assembly elections, the United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, was reported to have placed a call across to the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for a free, fair and credible election in the country while President Donald Trump called President Muhammadu Buhari.
The US had threatened to place a visa ban on persons involved in electoral violence.
The American Government had said, “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.
The US said it was actively involved with political happenings in the country, particularly regarding the 2019 election.
The US Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of African Affairs, Tibor Nagy, said this in a telephone press conference on Tuesday.
Nagy said during the build-up to the elections, the US Ambassador, Stuart Symington and his team took many steps to ensure that thing went smoothly.
The US official said in the pre-election period, in the election period and currently in the post-election period, they are providing phenomenal guidance to Washington on how the US Government should and should not respond to the election-related matters.
He said, “So, just be rest assured that the United States of America Embassy and the Consulate in Lagos, are actively involved and are doing an absolutely superb job to monitor events and to provide guides on how Washington should react to whatever the events are.”
