Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, has pleaded with Nigerians living abroad not to be unhappy that they won’t be able to vote in 2023 because the legislation supporting them hasn’t been passed yet.
She made her statement at the Nigerian Consulate in New York’s 2022 Annual General Meeting, which had the theme “NIDOA Renaissance: Leveraging on New Generation Leadership” and was virtually covered by journalists in Abuja.
Dabiri-Erewa encouraged the diasporans while giving advice, pleading with them to work hard to persuade the National Assembly to enact Diaspora voting into law.
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She also issued a warning against breaking the law while attempting to raise money for presidential candidates.
She said, “I know that you can’t vote in 2023, but don’t be disappointed. Rather, you need to work harder to lobby the National Assembly to make it possible for the Diasporans to be able to vote. However, you have the voice and should use it to urge all eligible voters to.
“I have been hearing stories that you are going to raise this money for one person or the other. Whatever you do, don’t break the laws of elections and funding in Nigeria. I think that is very important.
“So, I won’t encourage you to break any law relating to political funding; you know how it is operated in America. Make sure you follow the laws in Nigeria as well. So as we move on, I can guarantee you that under this administration, we will continue to protect our Diasporans.”
Why Nass Should Approve Diaspora Voting – Presidency
The National Assembly had recently voted against the bill seeking to provide for Diaspora voting in the Constitution.
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