The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has lauded the United States for its fresh imposition of visa ban on those undermining Nigeria’s democracy and electoral process.
The party gave the commendation in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja on Tuesday.
Ologbondiyan urged the U.S. Department of State to include family members and assets of such anti-democratic agents who had destroyed the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
He urged the U.S. to also invite the European Union as well as other nations, particularly the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia, to impose similar sanctions on electoral violators, who were bent on destroying Nigeria’s democracy.
“The PDP further demands an extension of the ban to families as well as confiscation of assets of such individuals.
“This is to serve as stronger deterrent to protect innocent Nigerians who are left to bear the brunt of the misdeed of such unpatriotic persons,” he said.
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Ologbondiyan said that the visa ban, if taken across the globe, would be a final warning to political leaders as well as compromised security and electoral officials being used to perpetrate electoral violence and manipulations.
He added that it was instructive to note that the announcement by the U.S. was an unambiguous cautionary to those plotting to use violence to undermine the sanctity of the Edo and Ondo state governorship elections.
Ologbondiyan added that the U.S. ban was, therefore, a firm support to PDP stiff resistance to plots by those who had been overheating the polity in Edo with serial attacks on other political parties.
He said it was a warning on those assembling thugs, cultists, fake policemen who had been instructed to invade polling centres to unleash violence and undermine the electoral process in Edo and Ondo states.
Ologbondiyan advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all security agencies to note that the world was watching, thereby the need for them to act by the rules.
“The PDP, in commending the U.S., urges Nigerians, particularly in Edo and Ondo states to remain at alert and strengthen their resolve by voting and firmly defending their votes from the polling and collation centres to the final declaration of results.
“This should be done with the determination to unbridle the instrument of resistance to anybody at all who attempts to undermine their will at any level of the process,” he added.