US Visa Ban On Election Riggers Will Encourage Transparent, Credible Elections In Nigeria – Shehu Sani

Shehu Sani, former senator representing Kaduna Central, has backed United States for its decision to impose Visa Restrictions on election riggers in the country.

Morgan Ortagus, spokesperson for the US Department of State, had, in a series of tweets on Monday, commended the visa restriction imposed on some unnamed politicians for rigging the last Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections.

MERIDIAN SPY, however, reported earlier, Adams Oshiomhole, ex-national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, Kano State Governor and Yahaya Bello, Kogi State Governor, were on the US Visa ban list, Sahara Reporters learnt.

Reacting to the earlier report of the ban on the election riggers, senator Sani said the US action will promote transparent and credible elections in Nigeria.

He, however, blamed the government’s failure to allow for electoral reforms in the country as the cause for foreign intervention in Nigeria’s polity.

“The US visa restrictions imposed on election riggers will help in the nation’s quest for transparent and credible elections by tackling impunity,” the former senator wrote on Twitter.

“Failure to implement genuine electoral reforms led us to foreign remedy.”

Similarly, Concerned Nigerians (CN), a pro-democracy group, also hailed the US for their action.

The group also appealed to the US government to extend the ban to officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security officers who undermine the electoral process.

“It is imperative to note that, this visa ban will send a strong signal to those who are always available to be used by politicians to rig elections, manipulate results and perpetuate violence during elections that actions have consequences, ” Deji Adeyanju, the CN convener noted in a statement.

“We want to commend the US government for their decisive action in imposing a visa ban on those who took part in manipulating and subverting the will of the people in Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections.”