The United Kingdom on Wednesday promised to watch closely the conduct of individuals and political parties during the 2023 general elections in the country.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, gave the assurance during a meeting with members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja.
She further stated that anybody who advocate for violence during the election would face immigration restrictions from the UK.
The representative added that the United Kingdom will not back any presidential candidate or party in the elections held the following year.
Two times before, the British had threatened to put visa restrictions on troublemakers and other people attempting to sabotage the elections of 2023.
Laing said: “That is a real concern and we want to exchange our thoughts on what you can do as a political party to ensure that the elections are as peaceful as possible.
“When people feel intimidated, they can’t get out to vote; the election itself will not be credible. That is why violence is of great concern.
“We will also be watching closely any individual who acts violently or incites people through social media. We do have the possibility of using our visas as sanctions by removing people’s rights to visit the UK.
“We will be watching closely. This applies to all the political parties; not just the parties, but security officials and anybody who might be in that position.
“The important thing is to get the votes out, whatever political party you are. The election will be credible if the votes are high. It was low last time — around 35 percent.”
