The Speaker of the House, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has promised Nigerians living abroad that they will soon be able to vote. This will happen during the 10th Assembly’s time.
He announced this at the start of the 2024 National Diaspora Day, which was organized by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) in Abuja.
Hon. Abbas’s Deputy, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, explained that the Diaspora Voting bill was brought up in a meeting a week ago and has already passed the first stage. “This shows that the parliament is serious about making Diaspora voting happen.”
Hon. Kalu also spoke about how important Nigerians abroad are for the country. They send money back home and offer professional help. “Diaspora voting is safe,” he said, adding, “As the head of the House of Representatives Committee to review the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, you can think of it as already done.”
He said it is important for Nigerians abroad to be able to vote. He asked them to stay patriotic and keep helping Nigeria, whether they come back home or help from where they are.“We need to ensure that Nigerians abroad are not only contributing economically but also have their rights protected, including the right to vote,” he stated.
Earlier in the event, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the head of NIDCOM, asked the Parliament to hurry with passing the Diaspora voting bill. She said that over 20 million Nigerians living abroad would benefit from this. “The Diaspora voting bill aims to allow over 20 million Nigerians living overseas to vote because they play a big part in our country’s growth,” she said.
Dabiri-Erewa also said NIDCOM is committed to helping Nigerians abroad and making sure their efforts are recognized through the Diaspora voting bill. “Our nation needs your skills, money, and commitment. Together, we can build a stronger Nigeria,” she emphasized.
Backstory
In July 2024, the Nigerian House of Representatives moved forward with the Diaspora Voting Bill sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and lawmaker Sadiq Abdullahi from Kano State. The bill wants to allow Nigerians living outside the country to vote in elections organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This bill had not passed in both the Senate and the House of Representatives during the 9th assembly before.It failed times before