The United States government appears set to sanction Nigeria’s ?first lady, Patience Jonathan, a former Niger Delta minister, Godsday Orubebe, ?and ?the ?governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, and other Nigerians accused of either disrupting the just concluded elections, or instigating violence.

The U.S. said Monday that it will impose visa restrictions on any Nigerian found to have incited violence or interfered with the electoral process.

The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said in a? statement that the U.S. will shut its doors on people involved in any form of violence during the polls.

“Anyone found to have incited violence or interfered with electoral processes will be unwelcome in the United States and subject to visa sanctions,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said.

Although Ms. Thomas-Greenfield did not give names of those considered for sanctions, Mr. Orubebe, appears one of the most likely targets.

The former minister openly disrupted the process of collation of the presidential election results in Abuja on March 31, as the event was broadcast live by the international media.

Accusing the head of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Attahiru Jega, of bias, Mr. Orubebe for several minutes asked Mr. Jega to stand down before the process could continue.

The former minister received worldwide condemnation for his actions, and later apologised.

Mrs. Jonathan had said at the ?ruling ?Peoples Democratic Party Women Campaign in Calabar, Cross River State, early March, that anyone chanting change should be stoned.

“I’m telling you, anyone that comes and tell you change, stone that person,” she said. “What you did not do 19 kilikili, is now that age has caught up with you, you want to come and change? You can’t change rather you will turn back to a baby. You will turn back to a baby. From old age nothing, so nothing like change. Rather (it) is continuity.”

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