The United States and the United Kingdom have announced repercussions, including visa restrictions, for election interference and election-related violence in Nigeria.

This was announced in a statement issued on Thursday.

Both countries described the elections as very important to not just Nigeria but Africa, demanding that the process be fair and transparent.

“The conduct of the upcoming elections in Nigeria is important not only for Nigeria, but for the African continent,” the US mission in Nigeria said in a statement.

“The United States government does not support any specific candidate or party in Nigeria’s upcoming elections. The United States supports the Nigerian democratic process itself. We support a genuinely free, fair, transparent, and peaceful electoral process.