The United States government said on Monday it will
impose visa restrictions on the wife of Nigeria's president, Patience Jonathan,
a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, the governor of
Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, and several others for inciting violence and
interfering with the country's electoral process.
The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African
Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said in a statement that America will shut
its doors on people involved in any form of violence during the polls.
“Anyone found to have incited violence or interfered
with electoral processes will be unwelcome in the United States and subject to
visa sanctions,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said in the statement.
Although the U.S official did not mention names of
those considered for sanctions, Orubebe has been listed in several quarters as
one of those that will be affected ostensibly because of his unruly behavior
during the collation of the presidential election results at the Independent
National Electoral Commission's National Collation centre in Abuja last month.
The former minister verbally assaulted the INEC
chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, alleging that the results of the election were
skewed in favour of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Although Orubebe later apologized to Nigerians, his
action was widely condemned within and outside the country.
Mrs. Jonathan on her part incited violence against APC
supporters during the Peoples Democratic Party's campaign activities in some
parts of the country.
Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said while the elections were generally
peaceful, some people resolved to undermine the will of Nigerians and interfere
with electoral processes through violence and voter intimidation.
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