The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged President Joe Biden of the United States to exercise his powers “pursuant to the Presidential Proclamations 7750 and 8697 and the Immigration and Nationality Act to ban Nigerian officials, politicians and other perpetrators and sponsors of violence during the just concluded elections.”
SERAP also urged Biden to “use the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to block or revoke the visas of anyone suspected to be responsible for cases of intimidation, harassment and violence during the elections, and to impose asset freezes and property sanctions on them and their families.”
The letter followed reports of cases of election-related intimidation, harassment and violence in several states of the country, including in Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Gombe, Lagos, Edo, Ogun, Osun, Rivers, and Taraba States and Abuja.
In the letter dated February 25, 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The imposition of targeted sanctions against suspected perpetrators and sponsors of election-related violence in Nigeria would promote accountability, end impunity, and deter human rights violations.”
SERAP said, “Applying the presidential proclamations, Global Magnitsky Act, and Immigration and Nationality Act as recommended would be very helpful to the efforts to stop further violence before, during and after elections, facilitate free and fair elections, and encourage the people to exercise their right to vote.”
The letter reads in part: “The recommended travel bans, asset freezes and property sanctions should also cover anyone who may perpetrate and sponsor violence and human rights crimes during the postponed elections in 141 polling units, and the governorship elections scheduled for March 2023.
“SERAP welcomes your government’s publicly expressed commitment to impose visa restrictions on officials, politicians and other perpetrators and sponsors of election related intimidation, harassment, and violence. We urge you to include asset freezes and property sanctions on the list.
“Giving serious consideration to our recommendations and promptly implementing them would give meaning to this commitment, and demonstrate the willingness of your government to support and strengthen democracy, citizens’ participation and the rule of law, as well as end a culture of election-related violence in Nigeria.
“According to our information, the Presidential and National Assembly elections which took place today across the country were characterized by cases of election-related intimidation, harassment and violence in many states. There are reports of loss of lives, injuries and disruption of the voting process in many states.
“Armed thugs also disrupted elections in several states of the country including in Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Gombe, Lagos, Edo, Ogun, Osun, Rivers, and Taraba states, and the Federal Capital Territory.
“Armed thugs snatched ballot boxes, took away election materials, broke chairs and dispersed voters in several areas of Kogi State, including in Anyigba Dekina towns. Thugs also reportedly attacked polling units in polling units in Niger, Delta and Katsina States, stealing at least eight BVAS machines.”
“Presidential and national assembly elections were postponed in 141 polling units in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State because of incidents of election-related intimidation, harassment and violence. “A pregnant woman identified as Ruth Osah, and a member of a local security outfit, Mark Orduize, were allegedly killed at a polling unit in the Ubimini community, Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State.
One person was reportedly killed in Taraba State. “Armed thugs also injured two voters in Akwa Ibom State before carting away a Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation Machine System machine for units 11 and 12 at the Oniong WestWard I in the Onna Local Government Area of the state.
