Let Nigerians in Diaspora vote

FEDERAL lawmakers want Nigerians living abroad to vote. At a retreat in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State last year, the lawmakers considered tweaking the Constitution to allow Nigerians in the Diaspora to participate in the electoral process, starting with the presidential election. This propagates inclusiveness.

The Inter-Party Advisory Council also loves the idea. Curiously, the national secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Ajibola Basiru, poured cold water on it. A former senator, Basiru thinks the lawmakers will encounter difficulties while amending the Constitution to accommodate the diaspora Nigerians.

His major argument is the Constitution. “To be elected as president of Nigeria, there is a requirement,” he said. “According to the Constitution, it’s not just about the majority votes; you must also have one-quarter of the votes in two-thirds of the states of the federation. So, the question is, those votes coming from the diaspora, which states are they going to be equated to?”

Basiru says “…we are battling with the integrity and sanctity of elections,” and suggests that “talking about ballots from another jurisdiction” is unnecessary.
He needs not fear. The matter is not as problematic as he thinks. The diaspora votes can be allocated to each voter’s state of origin in the amended Constitution.

The diaspora community is 17 million strong, according to the Federal Government in 2017. Quoting the UN, accounting firm PwC calculated Nigerians based abroad at 1.24 million in 2017. Whichever way, this is a sizeable number and should not be disenfranchised for living abroad.

Politicians recognise their clout and travel to engage them abroad. So, if the diaspora Nigerians are good enough to validate politicians’ ambitions, why are they not good enough to vote? They are enlightened, are abreast of the issues at home, and need little or no persuasion to come out and vote.
Voter turnout has been in sharp decline since 2007 when 57.54 per cent voted. Out of 93.47 million registered voters, a mere 24.9 million or 27 per cent voted in 2023, the lowest since 1999 when the turnout was 34.74 per cent.
Some state governors have been elected by about 10 per cent of voters.

Diaspora voters’ participation will improve this dismal profile and enrich the democratic process. Therefore, every effort should be made to incorporate diaspora voting, including studying the template of countries that incorporate overseas voting in their electoral system.

The technology could also be deployed. If it comes on stream, diaspora voting can be concluded earlier than the main ballot. This will give electoral officials enough time to tidy up the ballots and prepare for the main election.

It is the fundamental right of the diaspora compatriots to vote like other Nigerians. The group is too large to be kept out of the process that will produce the leader of their country.

They are too relevant to be ignored. Last year, they contributed $20 billion to the economy through remittances to relatives at home, just short of the $21 billion they wired home in 2022, according to the World Bank. Remittances help to improve foreign exchange liquidity and strengthen the naira.

In the United States, the right to vote in federal elections is determined by citizenship, not residence. According to the US Federal Voting Assistance Program, of the 5.7 million Americans living overseas, 2.7 million are eligible to vote.
Basiru’s worries about the integrity and sanctity of elections is a matter for the Independent National Electoral Commission to sort out. It should not hinder overseas voting.

Diaspora voters have been kept out for too long. They could be the game-changers and should be allowed to vote.