British High Commission To Nigeria: Sanctions Looming For Rabble-Rousers

• The British High Commission moves fast to protect Nigeria’s democracy.

• According to a statement, the commission is reportedly gathering information on Nigerians who engaged in anti-democratic conduct in the 2023 elections.

• The commission expressed concerns over the use of inflammatory statements intended to incite ethno-religious conflict in the country.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the British High Commission has said it is gathering information about Nigerians who engaged in anti-democratic actions during the country’s elections.

In a statement, the commission expressed concern over the use of inflammatory ethno-religious language by some political figures, as well as cases of vote buying, voter intimidation, destruction of election materials and harassment of journalists during the governorship elections.

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Members of the commission’s observation team personally witnessed violence and voter suppression in numerous voting locations, while also receiving credible reports from other observer missions and civil society organizations.

The commission praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for improvements in logistics during the gubernatorial elections, particularly the opening of more polling units on time, greater evidence of BVAS and IREV working and real-time results uploaded from polling units and collation centres.

The commission called on all leaders to distance themselves from inflammatory language, and to prevent those speaking on their behalf from using such language.

The UK Minister of State for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell MP, had earlier said the UK is ready to take action against those who engage in or incite electoral violence and other anti-democratic behaviors. This could include preventing people from obtaining UK visas or imposing sanctions under the country’s human rights sanctions regime.

The British High Commission confirmed that it is collating relevant information about Nigerians who engaged in anti-democratic actions during the elections, with a view to taking action against some individuals.

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The commission noted that the commitment of many Nigerians to democracy was evident in their willingness to vote despite facing intimidation and hostility.

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