By G9ija
The commitment of the United Kingdom to impose visa restrictions on politicians who incite violence in upcoming elections has been reaffirmed.
During an appearance on Channels Television, Catriona Laing, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, encouraged Nigerian citizens to exercise their right to vote and select their preferred candidate. She also stated that the UK is willing to take measures against those who engage in electoral violence or any other undemocratic actions.
In her words: “We are prepared to take action on those who incite electoral violence, and any anti-democratic behaviours.
“One of our plans is the visa ban, we will refuse them a visa to travel to the UK. We also have other sanctions under human rights. We are watching closely and it is not targeted at any political party or individual but it can be applied to anyone. We have used these tools in the past with our US counterparts and we are prepared to use them again.
“Everyone has a stake in a peaceful and credible election, especially if it’s Nigeria. So we are just playing our part in supporting Nigeria’s democratic journey”.
When asked about the greatest fear of the UK in the elections, she responded: “Insecurity in post-elections is my biggest fear and we have urged the head of political parties to talk to the supporters. If we can go through that we will have a peaceful country. Uk and other international communities are fully behind Nigeria”.
She emphasized to the incoming president the importance of prioritizing the economy by assembling a robust and diverse team that includes women and young people. Additionally, she encouraged the president to reach out to other political parties.