Nigerians in Diaspora Demand Right to Vote: #FixPolitics Diaspora Dialogue II

On 1st May 2024, FixPolitics Diaspora, an initiative of #FixPolitics, dedicated to fostering civic engagement among Nigerians abroad, hosted the second edition of the Diaspora Dialogue.

The virtual event titled, “Diaspora Dialogue: An Imperative for Constitutional Reform” brought together Nigerians in the diaspora to discuss the issue of diaspora voting. The event highlighted the growing demand for Nigerians living outside the country to have a say in their homeland’s elections.

The dialogue featured prominent speakers including the Founder and Chair of FixPolitics, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili; the Executive Director of FixPolitics Mr. Anthony Ubani; the CEO and Managing Director of Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa. The former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students in Diaspora and also the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students in South Africa, Abdulrazak Abubakar;, the Secretary-General of Ijaw Diaspora Council, Dr. Edward Agbai.”

Others are the President of the Nigerian Women Association in South Africa, Ms. Elizabeth Johnson; the Managing Director of Pav Media Limited, UK, Ayobami Olunloyo; Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College, and Prof Mojubaolu Okome among other Nigerians in Diaspora.

The event opened with a speech by Kayode Akintemi, the host/moderator of the event. Prof. Remi Sonaiya, Co-Chair of #FixPolitics, did the honours of presenting the welcome address, followed by an opening speech by Ubani.

In his speech, Ubani cited that despite the citizenship and tremendous capacity of Nigerians in the diaspora to contribute positively to the Nigerian project, they continue to be denied their fundamental right to vote.

“This disenfranchisement not only undermines the principles of democracy but also diminishes the potential for Diaspora engagement in shaping the policies and decisions that impact their lives and the lives of millions of Nigerians back home,” he emphasised.

Dr Ezekwesili kicked off the dialogue with a keynote speech by explaining the mission of #FixPolitics to address poor governance in Africa through a “triangular pillar” model focusing on empowered citizens, effective regulators, and a responsible political class.

She went on to say that Diaspora voting falls within that aspect of the triangular pillars of democracy on the power and the influence of the electorate.

“The reality of our political anomaly is that the supply side of our politics, within the political class, have a monopoly hold on the politics and democracy, not just of Nigeria, but of many other African countries.

“And that monopoly capture of the political space cannot in any way be contested until we unlock the kind of power and influence that the diaspora community has. The diaspora community cannot be disengaged from the country’s political process,” says Ezekwesili.

She highlighted the significant resources the diaspora community possesses – knowledge, networks, and financial resources – all of which are crucial for development but remain largely untapped due to their exclusion from the political process.

She insisted that granting voting rights to Nigerians abroad would be a critical step toward achieving a more inclusive and functional democracy.

On his part, Abubakar emphasised the need for the diaspora community to have a voice in the electoral process, while Mr. Adeniyi Sanusi, President and Executive Director of Association Diaspora 4040, highlighted the disenfranchisement of Nigerians in the diaspora.

Speaking also, as the president of the Nigerian Women Association in South Africa, Johnson addressed the specific challenges women in the diaspora face in voting.

She proposed solutions like electronic voting, polling stations at embassies, voter education campaigns, and reserved seats for diaspora representatives in parliament.

Dabiri-Arewa, however, acknowledged the challenges of implementing diaspora voting, including logistics, data security, and defining who qualifies as a diasporan.

“What the diaspora commission has done is come up with a database and we encourage every Nigerian in the diaspora to visit the Nidcom Registry to register their data.

“All we need is your name and where you stay, so that when the voting starts, your data will be there,” said the NIDCOM boss.

She urged Nigerians in the diaspora to come out in their numbers and attend public hearings.

The event concluded with a call to action for Nigerians in the diaspora to show up in numbers for public hearings on the matter, present a united front, and make their voices heard.

The discussions highlighted the need for continued dialogue, collaboration, and political will to make diaspora voting a reality.

FixPolitics plans to compile the suggestions and solutions presented into a document to advocate for changes to the Nigerian constitution that would allow diaspora voting.