United Kingdom, on Tuesday, threatened to sanction individuals involved in violence during the forthcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
It warned that such sanctions could include restrictions on their eligibility to travel to the UK, restrictions on access to UK-based assets, or prosecution under international law just as it did after the 2019 elections.
British High Commission in Nigeria stated this in a statement published on its Twitter handle on Tuesday.
The UK government made the threat 24 hours after the United States imposed visa restrictions on politicians who perpetrated violence and rigging of the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, in the statement, said she had held meetings with the leaders of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party on Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State.
Laing explained that the parley focused on the need for the parties to prevail on their supporters to avoid violence before, during, and after the elections.
It added that the UK welcomed the signing of a peace accord by the governorship candidates in the state.
The commission disclosed that it would be deploying observation missions to both Edo and Ondo polls while supporting civil society-led observation.
According to the statement, “The UK takes a strong stand against election-related violence and just as we did in the general election in 2019, we will continue to take action against individuals we identify as being responsible for violence during elections.
“This could include restrictions on their eligibility to travel to the UK, restrictions on access to UK-based assets or prosecution under international law.”