YAHAYA Bello, Governor of Kogi State has accused US Government of partisanship with the visa ban placed on him and other politicians believed to be masterminds of electoral violence in the 2019 general elections in Nigeria.
The US government had imposed visa restrictions on some Nigerians for undermining electoral processes in the country noting that the restriction covered from the 2019 general elections in Nigeria through the off-cycle November 2019 gubernatorial elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states to the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
But in a protest letter sent to the U.S Ambassador in Nigeria by Folashade Ayoade, Secretary to the Government of Kogi State, Bello accused the US Government of partisan politics.
In the letter dated September 16 and obtained by journalists in Abuja on Friday, the Governor of Kogi State admitted that ‘elections in Nigeria are complex affairs which will continue to require improvements for the foreseeable future.’
He argued that the violent incidents in the November 16, 2019 governorship election in his states were limited to a few polling units.
“For the most part, we concede that elections in Nigeria are complex affairs which will continue to require improvements for the foreseeable future,” Bello said.
“The 2019 Kogi State Gubernatorial Election was also not without its challenges.
“However, it is also crystal clear from critical and composite analyses of the records (official, media, observers, etc) of the Nov. 16, 2019 polls that regrettable incidents were limited to a few polling units.’’
According to him, the overwhelmingly larger portions of the election were free, fair and credible.
“Further, and in line with Nigerian law, the few political parties and individuals who alleged widespread electoral malpractice had free rein to contest the outcome in court.
“They vigorously litigated their claims over a gruelling nine-month period, through a three-step hierarchy of courts, to the inescapable conclusion at the Supreme Court of Nigeria that the said elections satisfactorily complied with the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act,” Bello said.
He further stated that the concern of Kogi State Government was not the prerogative of the U.S. to impose entry restrictions on anyone, for any or no reason, but “the misinformation which the timing and the mention of the Kogi election had created in the state, especially on the second term mandate freely bestowed on him by the people of the state.”
Abeeb Alawiye formerly works with The ICIR as a Reporter/Social Media officer. Now work as a Senior Journalist with BBC News Yoruba. You can shoot him an email via Abeeb.alawiye@bbc.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @habsonfloww