Edo/Ondo 2020: UK To Ban Electoral Offenders, Risk Visa Ban And Asset seizure

The British government has issued out warning to any Nigerian politicians caught in the act of executing or inciting violence in the upcoming Ondo and Edo governorship elections. These elections are expected to come up on September 19 and October 10 respectively.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing,  who revealed this via a press statement on Tuesday 15th of September threatened to seize overseas assets of such persons.

The statement read: “As a friend and partner of Nigeria we are closely following the lead up to the off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states scheduled for September 19 and October 10 respectively.

“These elections are important, both as an essential element of effective governance within both states and an indicator of the strength of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

“We will be deploying observation missions to both the Edo and Ondo elections and supporting civil society led observation.

“The UK takes a strong stand against election-related violence and, just as we did in the general election in 2019, will continue to take action against individuals we identify as being responsible for violence during the elections.

“This could include restrictions on their eligibility to travel to the UK, restrictions on access to UK-based assets or prosecution under international law.

Here is the copy of the official;

As we all rebuild from #COVID19, countries must continue to embrace the tenets of #Democracy – Transparency, responsiveness & Accountability. We look forward to seeing peaceful #Edo and #Ondo states elections, where the mandate of the people is respected and protected. pic.twitter.com/qfK1a4xnCh

— UK in Nigeria?? (@UKinNigeria) September 15, 2020