Criminals who were involved in last Wednesday’s invasion of the Capitol Building in a failed attempt to derail the final lap of the electoral process to ratify the election of Joe Biden as the President-elect of the United States will be held accountable for their misconduct, the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, has said.
In a statement in Abuja on Friday, Mrs Leonard condemned in strong terms the storming of the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump supporters protesting the outcome of the presidential elections held last November.
Since the conclusion of the election on November 3, 2020, the incumbent President, Donald Trump and his supporters continued to denounce its outcome, alleging massive fraud, without providing any credible evidence.
On Thursday as members of the U.S. Electoral college gathered to carry out the constitutional duty of to recounting the electoral college votes and announcing the winner, the protesters descended on the Capitol Building in their thousands and temporarily disrupting the process.
The protesters stormed the building, broke into offices, overwhelmed police and other security operatives who, for several hours, battled to restore normalcy, to create the atmosphere for the exercise to go ahead.
The Ambassador’s brief statement reads: “The United States Congress has completed its Constitutionally mandated count of the Electoral College vote and affirmed the election of Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Kamala D. Harris.
“They will be sworn into office and a peaceful transfer of power will occur on January 20, 2021. Lawlessness and rioting are always unacceptable.
“The criminals who stormed the U.S. Capitol will be held accountable in accordance with the rule of law in the United States.
“Our heartfelt gratitude to the many citizens of Nigeria who sent messages of support during Wednesday’s difficult hours.
“The enduring friendship and partnership between the United States and the people of Nigeria will endure and thrive as we work to perfect our union and our democracy.”
The invasion of the US Capital, which attracted global condemnation, has resulted in moved by democrats to mobilize signatures from their ranks to force the second impeachment of President Trump.
Democratic Party leaders led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, are calling for immediate impeachment proceedings to be initiated against Mr Trump and his Vice-President, Mike Pence.
Meanwhile, the White House on Thursday condemned the violent protest on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
Press Secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, told a news conference Washington has already called for the immediate prosecution of individuals who broke the law.
“We condemn it – the President and this administration – in the strongest possible terms,” McEnany said on Thursday. “It is unacceptable and those that broke the law should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” McEnany added.
