The UK Minister of State for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell MP, is ready to take legal action against anybody who participated in or incited electoral violence during the recently ended general elections, according to the British High Commission.
According to the
commission, the UK was already compiling the names of those responsible and
will impose consequences, "including excluding individuals from applying
for UK visas or applying for sanctions under our human rights sanctions
mechanism."
The high commission
confirmed that it was gathering pertinent data in order to take action against
some people in a statement provided to our correspondent on Wednesday.
The high commission
acknowledged that there were "notable points of concern" and claimed
to have placed observers in six states. Members of our observation team saw violence
and voter suppression first-hand in a number of polling places. We observed
vote buying and voter intimidation, the damage and theft of electoral
materials, and overall process disruption in many states, including
Lagos, Enugu, and Rivers, and we heard reliable reports of the same incidents from
other observer missions and civil society organisations.
"We also saw
instances of journalists being harassed. A strong democracy depends on press
freedom and free expression, and journalists must be able to conduct their jobs
without fear.
"The use of
incendiary ethnoreligious terminology by some public and political figures
concerns the Kingdom. We urge all leaders to refrain from using this rhetoric
personally and to stop those who speak on their behalf from doing the same.
Many Nigerians'
readiness to cast ballots in the face of intimidation and hostility is a
monument to their dedication to democracy.
It did, however,
praise the Independent National Electoral Commission for improving its
performance in the March 18 gubernatorial and state Houses of Assembly
elections.