The UK government has criticised former Nigerian Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode for stating that Nigeria would become ungovernable if the victory of President-elect Bola Tinubu is annulled. Despite warnings from the State Security Service (SSS) to refrain from making inflammatory and inciting statements, Fani-Kayode took to Facebook and Twitter to make the statement.
The British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, criticised the APC for not dissociating itself from the former Minister’s statements. Llewellyn-Jones called for political parties to distance themselves from such comments.
He criticised Fani-Kayode for his alleged use of derogatory, divisive, and inciting language in his tweets about the opposition. The Briton also revealed that 10 people had been added to the growing watchlist for the UK visa ban. In response, the APC member stated that he was not intimidated by the British envoy’s threat of a visa ban, and that he did not need validation or lessons in etiquette or how to speak from a British civil servant.
He noted that Nigeria stopped being a British colony 63 years ago and that he does not require validation or endorsement from the UK.
Meanwhile, the United States and UK governments have also threatened visa bans against politicians involved in electoral violence.
