Moves to save guard Nigeria’s democracy has been stepped up with stern warning coming from Britain to politicians in Nigeria through the office of the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Catriona Laing.
The warning stipulates that any politician who pushes for violence in the forthcoming general elections on Saturday 16th, 2019 should be ready to have their visas banned and assets in the UK confiscated.
This was made known at a press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja at the unveiling of the Election Situation Room of the Civil Society set up by a coalition of civil society organisations to oversee the election process in Abuja.
The Commissioner made it known that aside having their property seized, such politician will also face prosecution. In her statement, she said;
“We will apply this absolutely across board not directed to any particular party; we are monitoring and looking out for hate speech.
“Our two worries are on security, not just on the role the police will play to ensure peace but about the role individuals play by getting angry or militias being paid to disrupt elections.
“Then, another worry is fake news, that is why we rely on CSOs and we will work with them to get information.”
Mr Mohamed Ibn Chambas the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, appreciated the CSOs for coming up with the situation room idea affirming it a good thing for the election.
In his statement, Mr Stuart Symington American Ambassador to Nigeria said, “The time has come for this outside world that cares so much about Nigeria to listen to the people of Nigeria and to see what each of them do and then forward the results to lift Nigeria up.’’
