Fulfilling one of the promises made at the start of its tenure, the government in Nigeria has kick-started a law allowing Nigerians in the diaspora to participate in elections, regardless of their present country of residence.
The new bill, which passed its second reading at the Nigerian House of Representatives, seeks to amend Section 77(2) of the Principal Act. Altering the current Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the legislation is sponsored by Chairperson of the House Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe and 15 other lawmakers.
What Does The New Bill Say?
According to the bill’s draft, Section 77(2) of the Principal Act will be amended to “Every citizen of Nigeria, who has attained the age of eighteen years residing within or outside Nigeria at the time of registration of voters for purposes of election to a Legislative house, shall be entitled to be registered as a voter for that election.”
Furthermore, a new subsection (3 )was added, allowing for citizens to be eligible to vote under subsection (2) above, granted that they fulfil a list of conditions, which include being at least 18 years old with the possession of a Nigerian International Passport, they must have also lived in Nigeria for a period of at least five (5) years from a minimum age of ten (10) years old, and be legally resident in the country they are voting from for at least twelve (12) months.
Diaspora Voting Conversations Are Not New
While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)––with support from the presidency––has been vocal about its readiness for Diaspora Voting come 2023, several issues have been raised about its chances, especially by the Nigerian Senate.
With the Commission barely being able to effectively manage nationwide elections, the Senate had, earlier in the year, questioned the chances of Diaspora Voting with a heavy focus on “a lack of proper verification methods.”
Why It Matters
Nigeria has several millions of people living in various countries abroad. With this in mind, it is imperative that diaspora voting is heavily examined to ensure that citizens are not disenfranchised by virtue of their geographic location. In the run-up to the 2023 polls, Nigeria must come up with effective ways to manage elections locally and internationally.
This story is part of our new series on Nigeria where we analyse electoral and political reform in the country ahead of the next general elections in 2023.
