The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Catriona Laing, on Wednesday, 13th February, warned that Nigerian politicians, who incite or execute violence during Saturday’s elections, would have their visas banned and assets in the UK seized. Laing gave the warning at a press briefing in Abuja to unveil the Election Situation Room of the Civil Society Situation Room set up by a coalition of civil society organisations to monitor the polls in Abuja.
Laing said: “We will apply this absolutely across board not directed to any particular party; so, we are monitoring and looking out for hate speech.
“We are concerned about the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, rally which has hate speech a lot and we will like to call that kind of thing out.
“Our two worries are on security not just on the role the police will play to ensure peace but about the role individuals play by getting angry or militias being paid to disrupt elections.”
Also speaking, the American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Stuart Symington, said: “The time has come for the outside world that cares so much about Nigeria to listen to the people of Nigeria and to see what each of them do and then forward the results to lift Nigeria up.’’
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