The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the leadership of its current chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, has been pushing vigorously to ensure Nigerians in the Diaspora got to exercise their franchise during elections in Nigeria. Prof. Yakubu has engaged in advocacy with the presidency and the national assembly.
Much as he is eager to get Diaspora Nigerians to vote in elections, he, nevertheless, recognises the critical role of the national assembly as such major electoral innovation would, according to him, require amending the constitution and the electoral act which are in the purview of the legislature.
While receiving the senate committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations at INEC headquarters in Abuja recently, the INEC chairman had highlighted reasons why Diaspora Nigerians should have the vote: they are citizens interested in the affairs of their country, they make considerable contribution to the economy through huge financial inflow to the country and there is a sizable number of Nigerians living outside the country. He had further contended that Diaspora voting ‘’ is consistent with global best practices’’. He believes while it may not be feasible in the 2019 elections, it deserves priority attention.
We consider these valid arguments to allow Nigerians in Diaspora have a say in the choice of political leaders in a democratic Nigeria.
That Nigerians in the Diaspora are making huge financial contributions to the socio-economic well-being of the country is in no doubt. With a whopping $22 billion dollars in remittances in 2017, up 16. 4 percent over the figure for 2016, it is only logical that such commitment deserves reciprocity for their interest in their home country. We would like to note that the $22 billion is the largest remittance to any African country and fifth largest worldwide, after India, ($69 bn) China, ($64 bn) the Philippines ($33 bn) and Mexico ($31 bn).
The large population of Nigerians in the Diaspora, put at 15 million by the World Bank, is a significant number considering that some countries do not have as large a population. We therefore agree with the position of INEC chairman that such a population cannot continue to be ignored in participating in the nation’s electoral decision making.
With regard to global best practices, it is instructive that 115 countries allow voting by their Diaspora citizens with 28 such countries in Africa, 41 in western, central and eastern Europe, 20 in Asia, 16 in the Americas and 10 in the Pacific.
However, while INEC is vigorously agitating for inclusion of Diaspora Nigerians in the voting process during elections in the country, it has not exhibited similar vigour in articulating the modalities for such participation. We consider this a lapse or an inability to think through what it entails to extend the vote to Nigerians abroad.
It cannot be a tenable argument that there is no time frame yet for the actualization of the proposal. The very fact that the national assembly will need such input from INEC requires that it demonstrates its readiness should the national assembly be disposed to begin the process. It is important for INEC to recognize that while it can serve as lead facilitator for Diaspora voting, it has to carry along other institutions and organizations like the office of the Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora and the Nigerian Diaspora Organisation (NIDO)
Effecting Diaspora voting raises critical posers : what types of external voting system is to be adopted and in which type(s) of elections are Diaspora Nigerians to vote ? There are three basic options for external voting – personal voting at an external polling site usually in a diplomatic mission; voting by post (postal voting) and voting by proxy. A new trend is e-voting, deploying the Internet. There is need for rigorous interrogation of these voting systems, given the technological and logistic realities of Nigeria. Some countries adopt one or a combination of the systems. With Nigerians spread across virtually all the countries of the world, with differing concentrations, how can INEC implement Diaspora voting without disenfranchising some Diaspora Nigerians thinly on the ground in countries without Nigerian diplomatic missions ?
The other major challenge is determining the election or elections in which Diaspora Nigerians can vote from among presidential, legislative and sub-national (state) elections. For instance, 14 countries allow their Diaspora nationals to vote in only presidential elections while many allow the vote for Diaspora nationals in both presidential and legislative elections.
Another issue INEC would have to address is eligibility. While some countries only allow those temporarily living abroad to vote in the home country elections, some limit the vote to those who have lived abroad for not more than three to five years. The two major exceptions are the U.S. which allows 15 year residency abroad and Guinea which allows 19 years.
It is obvious that getting Diaspora Nigerians to vote in elections at home is a serious matter . The INEC, therefore, must go beyond sloganeering about Diaspora voting and demonstrate its appreciation of the difficult task ahead by articulating a roadmap that eventually leads to electoral empowerment of Nigerians in the Diaspora.
END
Be the first to comment