Abuja – The Democracy Vanguard of Nigerians in Diaspora has urged the United States to revoke visa of Nigerian politicians who heat up the polity with inciting statements.
Mr Timothy Sule, President of the vanguard made the call in a letter to the U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Stuart Symington on Sunday in Abuja.
The vanguard is a non-governmental organisation involved in global network for the protection of democratic processes around the world, especially on the Africa continent.
He said he was constrained to write to the ambassador to draw his attention to threats posed to Nigeria’s hard earned democracy by utterances of such politicians, especially as it related to the 2019 general elections.
Sule, while appealing to the U.S. to help save Nigeria’s democracy from disintegration and manipulation, said such political actors and their families should be banned from entering the U.S.
He specifically appealed that the U.S should carry out comprehensive independent assessment and investigation of Nigeria’s electioneering processes ahead of the 2019 general elections.
This, he said, should include pre- and post-election anti-democratic behaviour of some political actors, with a view to sanctioning those found guilty.
Sule advised that these culpable individuals and their families should be banned from entering the United States, while their visas should be revoked over their anti-democratic utterances and inciting statements.
“We pray these prayers believing in the United States of America’s avowed commitment to the sanctity of all electoral processes and the protection of democratic norms around the world.
“We anticipate a favorable response from your very important office. We are willing to partner with the State Department where applicable, to help realise the above prayers,” he said.
The vanguard president added that punitive actions taken against such persons now would serve as a deterrent against future occurrence.
He advised that the judiciary should be objective as judges currently review
election petition and other court matters.
