A former deputy national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has explained why the United States and the international community should impose sanctions on key officials of the Federal Government, alleging actions capable of undermining Nigeria’s democracy.
He made this known in a statement on Friday.
Frank urged the U.S. government to impose visa restrictions, economic sanctions and asset freeze on top government functionaries, including officials he accused of aiding anti-democratic practices.
He alleged that the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was deploying state institutions to weaken opposition parties ahead of future elections.
According to him, “The aim and goal are to ensure that no political party fields a candidate strong enough to contest with the president,” warning that such actions could plunge the country into crisis if not urgently addressed.
Frank specifically accused institutions such as the judiciary and legislature of being used to frustrate opposition forces, noting that democracy should remain a contest of ideas rather than what he described as a “monarchical system.”
He called on the United States, the United Nations, and other global actors to intervene before the situation deteriorates.
“The international community must not wait until Nigeria descends into crisis or conflict before taking action,” he said, adding that any instability in Nigeria, given its population of over 200 million people, could trigger a massive refugee crisis across regions.
This comes as the Independent National Electoral Commission last week delisted the David Mark-led African Democratic Congress leadership.
The opposition party had blamed President Tinubu’s government for INEC’s action.
However, INEC clarified that it derecognized the party over pending court disputes.
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