Tomorrow the Commonwealth Games Federation will announce whether the Nigerian city of Abuja or the Scottish city of Glasgow have been chosen to host the games in 2014 - and the UK's most outspoken equality campaigner Peter Tatchell insists Nigeria's appalling record on human rights would make the African city the wrong choice. "I would love an African country to host the games, but not Nigeria," said Tatchell. "It would be wrong for the 2014 Commonwealth Games to be held in Nigeria, given the country's serious human rights abuses, widespread corruption and flawed elections." Awarding Abjua the games would reward bad governance, grave social injustices and the denial of civil rights to millions of Nigerians, he added. "Nigeria should be offered the 2018 Games, on the condition that within the next three years it makes serious progress on eradicating corruption, election fraud and human rights violations. "Nigeria's appalling human rights abuses contradict the Commonwealth Games ethos of equality, humanity, peace, unity, cooperation and understanding. Until Nigeria radically improves its human rights record, it should be ruled out of consideration as a host for the Commonwealth Games," said Tatchell. Homosexuality and same-sex marriage are illegal in Nigeria and are considered very serious offences. The Nigerian parliament has been trying to pass a controversial law introduced by former President Olusegun Obasanjo banning gay rights organisations. More than a dozen Nigerian Muslims have been sentenced to death by stoning and for sexual offences ranging from adultery and homosexuality, but none of these death sentences have actually been carried out as they were either thrown out on appeal or commuted to prison terms as a result of pressure from human rights groups. In April, a woman reportedly fled Nigeria after being accused of organising a polygamous lesbian wedding. She later denied the reports. In August, eighteen men were remanded in prison following their arrest for alleged sodomy in northern Nigeria. "There will be many lesbian and gay athletes, officials, spectators and reporters at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 - they could be at risk of arrest and violence if the Games go ahead in Abuja," Tatchell points out. "If Abuja does win the right to host the Commonwealth Games, the Nigerian government must act swiftly to scrap its anti-gay laws and crackdown on homophobic hate crime in order to ensure that the country is a safe, welcoming place for gay and lesbian participants."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Thursday, 8th November 2007 - 12:48pm