Atiku Reacts As US Threatens Election Riggers With Visa Ban

Nigeria’s former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to the verdict of the United States (US) to impose a Visa ban on Nigerian citizens involved in election rigging.

Naija News reported earlier that the US, in a bid to support democracy and fight corruption in Nigeria, placed a visa ban on several citizens of the country who have been charged with undermining democracy.

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, confirmed the development on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, stating that the individuals subjected to the visa ban, whose identities he concealed, would not be qualified for US visas.

The senior diplomat clarified the possibility that some relatives of individuals denied entry to the US would be subject to a similar restriction. Blinken explained, however, that neither the Nigerian populace nor its government was intended to be harmed by the visa prohibition.

Reacting to the announcement by the US government, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Atiku took to his verified Twitter handle and admonished other established democracies to join the US in placing a visa ban on election riggers in Nigeria.

Atiku tweeted: “I welcome the United States visa ban on anti-democratic elements whose actions seek to undermine the 2023 elections in Nigeria.

“I encourage other established democracies to follow suit to ensure that there’s no hiding place for the enemies of our democracy.”