LAGOS, Nigeria — Femi Fani-Kayode, a chieftain of Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has dismissed concerns over a visa ban imposed by foreign countries on select Nigerians accused of “undermining democracy” and “rigging elections”.
The embattled politician took to Twitter on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, to express his position. “Those that have imposed a visa ban on some ‘selected Nigerians’ for allegedly ‘undermining democracy’ and ‘rigging elections’ are perfectly within their rights to do so because it is their country and they can do as they please,” Fani-Kayode stated on his verified Twitter handle.
Those that have imposed a visa ban on some "selected Nigerians" for allegedly "undermining democracy" and "rigging elections" are perfectly within their rights to do so because it is their country and they can do as they please.
We should loose no sleep over that because the… pic.twitter.com/mxoKp9Z3id
— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) May 16, 2023
This statement comes as foreign governments continue to exert pressure on Nigeria over alleged democratic infringements.
However, the APC chieftain is of the view that these punitive measures won’t disturb the political landscape, specifically the camp of APC stalwart, Bola Tinubu.
“We should lose no sleep over that because the Nigerian people…produced a President-elect and a set of Governors-elect who will all be duly sworn-in according to law on the 29th of this month,” Fani-Kayode added.
Fani-Kayode’s remarks highlight the party’s confidence in the face of international scrutiny.
The chieftain went further to assert that the legitimacy of the election should be determined by Nigerian institutions and not influenced by foreign governments.
The tribunals and courts, he emphasized, are the true arbiters of whether an election has been rigged, pointing out that this responsibility should not fall to “partisan foreign governments.”
As the APC prepares for the swearing-in of its elected officials, Fani-Kayode’s comments underscore the party’s defiance in the face of international criticism.
As of now, the party seems unshaken by the visa bans and continues to focus on the forthcoming inauguration ceremonies.
The broader implications of the visa ban and the international community’s growing attention to Nigeria’s electoral processes remain to be seen.
However, for now, APC’s top brass appear to be holding the line, emphasizing domestic rule of law over international pressure.
