Nigerians In Diaspora Rally In Abuja For Voting Right
By Bukar BOLORI
Some Nigerians living in the Diaspora took to the streets of Abuja on Thursday to rally for support for Diaspora Voting.
The group which numbered about 50 persons came out despite the rainfall to walk through Abuja streets to the National Assembly.
They started their walk from the Unity Fountain, walked to the Eagle Square where they address the media and subsequently walked to the gate of the National Assembly where they dispatched representatives to present their position to the federal lawmakers.
The inscriptions on the placards they carried showed: “Nigerians in Diaspora urges NASS to legislate diaspora voting,” “Nigeria is home, let us vote,” “Diaspora votes matter,” “We should vote, let our voice count,” among others.
The Coordinating Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NiDO)-Worldwide, Mr Chibuzo Ubochi, who addressed the media, urged the Tenth Session of the National Assembly to live a lasting legacy in Nigeria’s democratic process by legislating the Diaspora Voting.
He also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to be the first president of the country to advance inclusive governance of Nigerians at home and abroad through assent to the Bill.
He said the Constitution of Nigeria recognised Diaspora Voting, that every Nigeria, home and abroad of voting age, has the right to register and vote.
Ubochi said: “We are Nigerians living abroad. We bear names like Chibuzor, Ibrahim and Ade, eat Nigerian food and run Nigerian businesses wherever we are.
“So, why can’t we vote? We hold our green passport wherever we go and we are proud of our fatherland.
“One important thing from our past leaders in the country is that they support Diaspora Voting, so what is holding them back?
“This is because the National Assembly had yet to legislate it. This is why we are here to tell them to do the right thing.
“To tell them Nigerians living abroad deserve to be part of electoral process,Patti at the prime of the ongoing Constitutional Review.”
Former Coordinating Chairman of NiDO-Worldwide, Dr Victor Ubani, underscored the need for President Tinubu to set the pace for the future of Nigeria’s democracy by assenting the Bill when presented to him.
He said: “We are calling on President Tinubu to listen to us. We appeal to the National Assembly to do the needful.”
He noted that the only way that they could be told that they remain Nigerians is when they are allowed a chance to determine who makes policy decisions in the country that affects them.
Ubani said: “We are here to work closely with the National Assembly to build our nation to benefit our fatherland.”
For his part, the Global President, National Association of Nigerian Students in Diaspora (NANS-Diaspora), Chris Fayomi, commended the Federal Government’s efforts towards sustaining Nigeria’s democracy.
He noted that more could be done to bolster the nation’s democratic progress through inclusion of Nigerians living abroad in electoral process.
He said: “We have come from across several continents of the world to place demand on government towards legislation of Diaspora Voting.
“This is because no Nigerian will make the most democratic impact in fostering inclusivity of a 17million population than the one who legislates Diaspora Voting,” Fayomi said.
