Atiku Reacts To US Travel Ban On Nigerian Politicians

We Are Vindicated By US Claims – Atiku

Former Vice President and 2019 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the decision of the United States to place a travel ban on some Nigerians.

Atiku’s reaction follows the statement from the US State Department on Tuesday which condemned the action of some politicians which it claimed undermined Nigeria’s democracy during the 2019 general elections.

The statement by US Department spokesperson, Morgan Ortagus revealed the Secretary of State is imposing visa restrictions on Nigerians believed to be responsible for such acts.

Reacting, Atiku in a statement signed by Paul Ibe, his media aide, said the position of the US validates his and PDP’s claim that the result of the 2019 presidential election declared by INEC was manipulated.

He said:

“After the conduct of the February 23, 2019 Nigerian 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. 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.

Speaking on the ban, 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, Mr. 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”.

The above statement is a vindication of our position that the 2019 elections were “undermined” by the actions of state actors and institutions.

We also wish to thank the United States of America for standing with the Nigerian people against those whose desire it is to truncate our democracy.

Finally, we urge the Nigerian people not to despair. There is hope on the horizon. There is light at the end of the tunnel. The myriad of security, economic and social challenges Nigeria currently faces, which has resulted in our nation becoming the world headquarters for extreme poverty will, God wiling, soon be over, with the prospect of purposeful and result oriented leadership.”