Following a declaration by the government of United States of America of a visa ban against some Nigerian politicians involved in the massive rigging of the 2019 general elections, a political activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has urged the U.S. to ensure that the wives and children of the affected persons are included in the list of affected personalities.
According to him, some military personnel brazenly took active role in the manipulation of the 2019 electoral process to achieve predetermined objectives and therefore, they should not be left unpunished.
Frank also appealed to the government of United Kingdom, European Union and other advanced democratic nations who made similar promises before the elections to emulate the step already taken by the American government.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja, Frank who commended the U.S. government for the step taken, added that making public the names and political parties of those affected would also not be a bad idea so as to discourage such undemocratic practices in future elections.
He, however appealed to the US, UK and EU to keep their eyes on the Judges handling cases in the election petitions tribunal and Supreme Court (especially the presidential election) to ensure that those found wanting are sanctioned with a visa ban.
He called on the judiciary to take note of the US visa ban on Nigerian politicians and be guided to do the needful in the ongoing election petitions cases in the courts.
“I must commend the US for living up to expectation as promised before the 2019 general elections. The visa ban on yet to be named persons has clearly shown that the outcome of the last presidential election was manipulated. I urge the governments of the United Kingdom, European Union and other democratic nations to emulate the recent step taken by the American government.
“More importantly, the international community should show more interest in the ongoing election tribunal cases in Nigeria, most especially the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal and the Supreme Court. The U.S. government should not hesitate to sanction judges who dare compromise the wishes of the people as freely expressed during the 2019 general elections.
“It is also important that the Chief of Army Staff and other military officers who took part in rigging the said election should not go free. They should be banned also to sound a note of warning to other military officers,” he said.
The political activist, therefore challenged politicians, especially of the ruling party, to apply for American visa now for them to ascertain if their names are on the list of those affected by U.S. Visa Ban.
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