Pockets of violence and ballot box snatching has marred election in Rivers State. Governor of Rivers State, Mr Nyesome Wike has been fingered in election malpractices that took place on 25th February 2023.
Angry voters have therefore called for a visa ban the governor and his family members.
“Visa Ban on Nyesom Wike for deliberately destroying Democracy and manipulating results in Rivers State.” – wrote a tweep.
Another twitter user wrote: “Visa Ban on Nyesom Wike his wife and two children for deliberately destroying Democracy and manipulating voting results in Rivers State.”
This is coming as the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged United States President Joe Biden to exercise his powers to ban Nigerian officials, politicians, and other perpetrators and sponsors of violence during the just concluded elections.
SERAP also urged Biden to revoke the visas of anyone suspected to be responsible for cases of intimidation, harassment and violence during the elections, and to impose asset freezes and property sanctions on them and their families.
The letter followed reports of cases of election-related intimidation, harassment and violence in several states of the country, including in Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Gombe, Lagos, Edo, Ogun, Osun, Rivers, and Taraba states, and Abuja.
In the letter dated 25 February 2023 and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The imposition targeted sanctions against suspected perpetrators and sponsors of election-related violence in Nigeria would promote accountability, end impunity, and deter human rights violations.
In a videos, one of the voters in Igwirita Rivers State accused the Ikwerre LGA Chairman of hijacking ballot boxes with his boys while voting was going on.
Watch video: