In advance of Nigeria's elections this year, the US has stated that it is limiting entrance to those "believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Nigeria."
The US Department of State reports that the notification from Wednesday also applies to the alleged anti-democratic campaigners' families. President Muhammadu Buhari, who has served eight years in office and has exceeded Nigeria's two-term limit, will be replaced following elections on February 25.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned in a statement that "additional persons who disrupt the democratic process in Nigeria — including in the run-up to, during, and after Nigeria's 2023 elections — may be judged ineligible for US visas under this policy."
Nigeria, the most populous and economically powerful nation in Africa, is currently experiencing a high level of insecurity, with recent attacks on the electoral commission.
Attacks on the Enugu state's electoral commission offices were thwarted earlier this month by Nigerian police. In the southeastern state of Imo, three attacks on offices resulted in the deaths of five individuals in December.
However, officials have stated that there won't be a delay in the voting.
High inflation has also made the nation's economy difficult, which is one of the reasons why so many young people registered to vote in record numbers last year.
The decision to impose visa restrictions, according to a statement released by Blinken on Wednesday, "reflects the commitment of the United States to assist Nigerian objectives to combat corruption and enhance democracy and the rule of law."
The declaration comes in response to previous pledges made by US President Joe Biden's administration to improve ties with nations on the African continent. The second US-Africa Leaders Summit, which Biden convened in December, saw Washington forge a number of new alliances and commit to increasing its commitment in the region.
A three-nation tour of Africa is now being conducted by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who made a stop in Pretoria, South Africa, on Wednesday.
The limitations are focused at "particular persons and are not meant at the Nigerian people or the Government of Nigeria," according to Blinken's statement on Wednesday.
The release made no mention of the new policy's precise aims.
There will be 18 candidates running for president of Nigeria, with Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerging as the most likely front-runners in a nation long ruled by the two parties.
One of the front-runners is Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, who has centered his campaign on fighting corruption.
Nigerian elections have long been accused of being rigged, but officials have promised that 2023 will be different. They have tied that promise to new technology designed to stop voters from voting more than once and to laws intended to stop vote-buying.The composition of the National Assembly will also be decided by the elections in February.
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