U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
Reuters

The U.S. proposed visa restrictions for Nigerians it believed had "undermined the democratic process" ahead of the country's 2023 general elections.

According to the U.S. Department of State, the announcement also includes the relatives of those allegedly engaged in anti-democratic activities.

"These individuals will be found ineligible for visas to the United States under a policy to restrict visas of those believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Nigeria. Certain family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Wednesday.

According to Blinken, those deemed guilty of undermining democracy in Nigeria shall be judged ineligible for a U.S. visa under Section 212(a)(3)C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The policy may result in individuals being disqualified from receiving U.S. visas if they disrupt the democratic process in Nigeria, including before, during, and after the country's elections in 2023.

He added that the visa limitations only apply to a select group of persons and are not directed at Nigerians or the Nigerian government. "The decision to impose visa restrictions reflects the commitment of the United States to support Nigerian aspirations to combat corruption and strengthen democracy and the rule of law," said Blinken.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, applauded the U.S. for placing a visa ban on Nigerians who were "undermining democracy" in the country.

Abubakar reacted by requesting other nations "to follow suit" in a series of tweets on Thursday.

"I welcome the United States visa ban on anti-democratic elements whose actions seek to undermine the 2023 elections in Nigeria," he said.

"I encourage other established democracies to follow suit to ensure that there's no hiding place for the enemies of our democracy," Abubakar added.

Two weeks earlier, the Federal Government and security services were forewarned by the Conflict Research Network, West Africa (CORN West Africa) that terrorism could jeopardize the conduct of the general elections in the northeast unless a proactive, context-specific security plan is created for the region, BusinessDay reported.

This was revealed as part of the advice given during the Conflict CORN West Africa Research Colloquium webinar, "Nigeria Decides 2023: Conducting Elections in Context of Political Violence and State Fragility."