US travel ban shows presidential election was rigged —Atiku

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the February 23 election, Atiku Abubakar, has said that the current travel ban imposed by the United States on some politicians in Nigeria has validated his claim that the presidential election was rigged in favour of the All Progressives Congress and President Muhammadu Buhari.

The former Vice President in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Paul Ibe, on Wednesday, said he had maintained after the presidential election that the poll was not credible.

He further alleged that the leadership under Buhari and his allies engaged in propaganda to deny that the election was rigged.

According to him, after many months of allegedly living in denial, the Buhari administration was now faced with the truth in the form of a US visa ban on politicians who undermined Nigeria’s democracy.

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He quoted the spokesman of the US State Department, Morgan Ortagus, as saying, “We condemn those whose acts of violence, intimidation, or corruption harmed Nigerians or undermined the democratic process.

“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.”

Atiku said the above statement supported his position that the 2019 elections were ‘undermined by the actions of state actors and institutions.

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

“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 willing, soon be over, with the prospect of purposeful and result-oriented leadership.”