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| Prof. Attahiru Jega |
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, yesterday said a provision of the law that requires every eligible person to cast their ballot at the polling unit where they registered as a voter forecloses Diaspora voting.
He, however, asserted that the commission would not relent in its aspiration to make Nigeria’s electoral system more inclusive by accommodating citizens living abroad.
He gave the assurance when he accepted an invitation to INEC by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to observe voting by Indonesians in Nigeria as part of the Asian country’s parliamentary elections.
Diaspora voting by Indonesians in Nigeria will hold on Saturday, April 5, in Lagos and Sunday, April 6, in Abuja, at the country’s consular offices.
The voting will be conducted as part of the parliamentary elections in mainland Indonesia scheduled for April 9.
Jega thanked the Ambassador for inviting INEC to observe the process and noted that Nigeria had a lot to learn from Indonesia’s electoral experience.
He said: “In Nigeria, we are doing our best to open up our system for citizens in the Diaspora to be able to vote. Unfortunately, there are presently legal inhibitions, because our laws prohibit Diaspora voting.
“This is not directly so, but there is a provision in our laws that requires every eligible person to cast their ballot at the polling unit where they have registered as a voter.
“The implication is that for people in the Diaspora to participate in our elections, they will have to come home to register as voters, and subsequently cast their votes at the polling units where they registered.
“But we have made recommendations to the National Assembly for an amendment of that provision so as to allow people in the diaspora to vote; and we are hopeful that our recommendation will be taken on board.”
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