Nigerians in Diaspora Demand Voting Rights

Nigerians in the diaspora have demanded voting rights, arguing that their financial contributions should be matched with a voice in choosing leaders.

Stephen Osemweige, President and Founder of Save Nigeria Group USA, made the call on Saturday at News Central TV’s Town Hall in New York.

The town hall, themed “Diaspora Voting: Promises, Politics and The Path Forward,” brought together stakeholders to discuss the push for Nigerians living abroad to participate in elections.

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Osemweige said Nigerians abroad collectively send between $21 billion and $22 billion home every year, yet have no direct say in how the country is governed.

“If you send, if you have a farm and you invest that much, if it was a farm, for example, or a bank, and you have no say in how that money is spent, that would be unfair,” he said.

He argued that a Nigerian’s location should not determine whether they can exercise their right to vote.

“I don’t believe that your location should determine your franchise,” Osemweige said.

He said Nigerians do not lose their citizenship when they leave the country, noting that many in the diaspora remain closely connected to events at home.

“If you take off from Murtala Muhammed Airport, you don’t drop your citizenship,” he said.

According to Osemweige, Nigerians abroad continue to support relatives, businesses and communities at home, while also dealing with issues such as insecurity, poor roads and electricity challenges.

“Nigeria follows us and we send money, but we don’t get to have a say,” he said.

Nigeria Diaspora Demands Voting Rights (NewsCentral TV) — Stephen Osemweige, President and Founder of Save Nigeria Group USA. Credit: NewsCentral TV.

Osemweige said the demand for diaspora voting had gained momentum in recent years but suffered a major setback when the National Assembly rejected a constitutional amendment bill in 2022.

The 2022 proposal sought to amend the Constitution to allow Nigerians living outside the country to vote.

Official National Assembly records show that the House of Representatives rejected the diaspora voting bill during the 2022 constitutional amendment process.

Osemweige said the setback showed the need to address the legal and constitutional barriers preventing Nigerians abroad from voting.

He pointed to the 1999 Constitution as a major obstacle, arguing that amendments would be required to create a workable framework for diaspora voting.

“We want to call on Senator Godswill Akpabio, the transformational senator, please pass a bill, sir. We want to call on Abbas, the Speaker, honourable speaker, please. We in diaspora are 17 million strong,” he said.

The estimated Nigerian diaspora population is commonly placed at around 17 million or more, while remittances remain a major source of foreign exchange for the country.

A 2024 diaspora voting bill also proposed allowing Nigerian citizens living abroad to vote in national elections at embassies, consulates and other designated locations, with INEC responsible for registration and verification procedures.

Osemweige said Nigerians abroad should not be excluded simply because they left the country in search of better opportunities.

“We are not just in diaspora because we want to be here. Some people are here, myself included, because we wanted better opportunities. We would like to come back home. We would like to invest home. Therefore, we should have a right to make decisions on who governs that country that we love so much,” he added.

He said Save Nigeria Group USA supports working with Nigerians at home to promote credible leadership and free and fair elections.

Osemweige also challenged the National Assembly to move quickly on diaspora voting, comparing the urgency to how quickly lawmakers changed the national anthem.

“We want you to pass a diaspora voting bill. Because we know that things can move very quickly if they want to,” he said.

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