Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has stated that the visa restrictions imposed on Nigerians by the US State Department is a validation of claims that the 2019 elections were mared by malpractices.
Atiku’s Media Adviser Paul Ibe, in a press statement noted that after the conduct of the February 23, 2019 Presidential elections, “we maintained that the polls were rigged, not credible and that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar won the elections and that his mandate was stolen.
“In the aftermath of the daylight robbery that occurred on Election Day, the regime of General Muhammadu Buhari and its allies went into a propaganda overdrive to deny the obvious.
“However, it is a truism that no matter how far and fast falsehood, or in this case, rigging, has traveled, it must eventually be overtaken by truth. It seems that day has come.”
He stated that after many months of living in denial, the Buhari regime is now faced with the truth in the form of a US visa ban on politicians who undermined Nigeria’s democracy.
Recall that the US State Department in a statement by its spokesman, Morgan Ortagus on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, stated that “we condemn those whose acts of violence, intimidation, or corruption harmed Nigerians or undermined the democratic process.”
Speaking further, Ortagus said, “the Secretary of State is imposing visa restrictions on Nigerians believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Nigeria. These individuals have operated with impunity at the expense of the Nigerian people and undermined democratic principles and human rights”.
Mr. Ibe said the above statement is a vindication of the PDP’s position that the 2019 elections were “undermined” by the actions of state actors and institutions.
He thanked the United States of America for standing with Nigerians against those whose desire it is to truncate the country’s democracy.
Atiku’s aide, therefore urged Nigerians not to despair saying the myriad of security, economic and social challenges Nigeria currently faces, which has made her the world headquarters for extreme poverty will, God wiling, soon be over, with the prospect of purposeful and result oriented leadership.
