2023: US threatens to impose visa restrictions on promoters of violence in Nigeria

The United States on Tuesday threatened to impose visa restrictions on promoters of violence during the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.

The US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Michael Gonzales, handed out the warning at an international conference with the theme: “United States Policy and Nigeria’s National Decisions in the 2023 Elections,” held at Johns Hopkins University.

The conference was attended by Nigerian and American policy experts to discuss issues around the 2023 general elections.

Gonzales said the US government would continue to use messaging and other diplomatic channels at its disposal, including visa restrictions, where warranted, to dissuade those who may be tempted to use violence to undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.

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He stressed that the US government remained committed to working with Nigeria to uphold its conventions on peaceful transfer of power in 2023.

The conference moderators including Dr. Ndubuisi Nwokolo, a Partner at Nextier and Honorary Research Fellow, School of Government and Society, University of Birmingham, in the United Kingdom, charged Nigeria on the maintenance of existing political conventions that guaranteed peace.

Other moderators at the conference were Dr. Carl LeVan, a Professor, School of International Service, American University, and Darren Kew, Professor of Conflict Resolution, University of Massachusetts, Boston, and Executive Director of Centre for Peace, Democracy and Development.

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