The reconsideration of the Diaspora voting bill by the National Assembly to allow interested Nigerians living abroad to participate in the electoral process in Nigeria and vote is a desirable move, but has the country what it takes to make it work successfully as obtained in other countries that practise it?
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For some years now, there has been agitation by Nigerians living abroad to be allowed to participate in the electoral process in their home country. Their request is enjoying the support of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organizations as well as some civil society groups that are canvassing amendment of some provisions of the nation’s constitution to allow Nigerians in the Diaspora to exercise their franchise.

Besides being citizens of Nigeria which naturally should confer on them the right to vote and be voted for like their fellow citizens living at home, Nigerians abroad contribute remarkably to the development of their country through billions of dollars they remit to the economy yearly. And they will surely feel a stronger sense of belonging and may be willing to make more contribution to the growth of their home country.

As the clamour for Diaspora voting gets stronger, the relevant questions include if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has the technical capacity and personnel to handle the special type of voting seamlessly and without the irregularities that frequently afflict elections in the country; Will the personnel and technologies to be used not compromise the process? How independent is INEC to guarantee the integrity of the exercise and prevent it from being sabotaged by desperate political elite?

The Senate recently promised to reconsider the Diaspora Voting Bill. Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, dropped the hint during a virtual dialogue themed “A Pivotal Step Toward Achieving Diaspora Voting Right”. The event was organised by Engage Diaspora Foundation, in collaboration with the Directorate of Diaspora and International Affairs of his office.

“Nigerian citizens in the Diaspora have shown tremendous interest in participating in the electoral process. They make considerable contributions to the economy through huge financial remittances to the country. Diaspora voting is consistent with global best practices. When you talk about Diaspora voting, it is a right; if anybody is granting you that right, it is not as if they are granting you any favour. It is your right.

The essence of this fight is just to make sure that the right is recognised in our constitution because the constitution is the basis upon which every other thing rests,” he said.

Diaspora voting is not rocket science, with the right electoral system, people of good character, legislation, technology and adequate data, it can materialise in Nigeria. If the bill before the National Assembly is passed into law, it will only amend some provisions of the nation’s constitution that restrict registration for election and voting to persons residing in Nigeria; it will not guarantee successful Diaspora voting.

The INEC should be strengthened, truly independent and adequately equipped to successfully conduct election that will be free, fair, credible and transparent. The amendment should address issues like the threshold for declaration, particularly for presidential election, majority of votes cast, and the spread, a quarter of votes in two-third of the 36 states. For example, will the Diaspora constitute a new state or what will be the status for the purpose of a presidential election.
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The morbid fears about the reliability of technologies that will be used for the special voting must be assuaged. One of the reasons some opposition parties rejected the outcome of the 2023 presidential election is the failure to use the BVAS technology in some instances, and failure to upload election results to INEC portal as promised by the electoral umpire.

There is also the fear about the character and integrity of the people to man the technologies. On Diaspora voting, a Political Science lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Christian Okeke, in an interview with BusinessDay, stated: “The reliability and integrity of the technologies have always raised doubts the same way no one can vouch that the personnel to man the technologies are patriotic, professionals and men of honour.

As it stands, there is no guarantee that the political elite will not sabotage the integrity of the technology-driven process.” Among the worries is that the incumbent president could use flimsy excuses to shut down the Internet and stop or disrupt Diaspora voting if he realises that what is coming as votes cast are not in his favour.

For Diaspora voting to be successful, there is need for up-to-date data on the actual number of Nigerians who are residing abroad, which the Federal Government is currently struggling to ascertain. There may also be problem defining who is a Nigerian living abroad. For instance, people who were told that their parents hailed from Nigeria, but could not trace their roots to any local government or state in Nigeria. The parents lived, died and were buried abroad. How will INEC verify the claims? Will such people be allowed to register and vote as Nigerians in the Diaspora? Other challenges may surface during the process.

There is need to make the electoral system stronger than what it is currently. INEC needs to recruit personnel who are patriotic and of good character, and study the process in countries where Diaspora voting has been successful, with a view to achieving the same feat in Nigeria.

Some organisations, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), are already practising similar mode of voting to elect their leaders and take unanimous decision on crucial issues. The experience can be resonated nationwide for people to understand how it works. Political leaders and public officeholders should behave themselves and allow the game to be played according to the rules.
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