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United Nations peace ambassador and gender affairs envoy Edward Ilechukwu urged Nigerian authorities to move past debates and focus on practical execution for diaspora voting during News Central TV’s Town Hall in New York on Saturday.
Addressing the audience, Ilechukwu stressed that expanding franchise access to millions of citizens abroad requires logistical rigour rather than political rhetoric.
“A vote is not a sentiment,” Ilechukwu stated. “It’s a logistics operation. And if we fail at logistics, we fail at democracy.”
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Ilechukwu outlined a three-step blueprint for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to successfully execute elections across foreign territories.
He called on the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act to establish a dedicated diaspora voter register, enabling online pre-registration linked to National Identification Numbers (NIN) and valid Nigerian passports, followed by biometric capture at designated consulates.
Credit: News Central TV
“INEC cannot use INEC’s current register,” he said. “Your polling unit becomes the USA New York consulate, not Oshodi, right? Not Enugu.”
#NCTownHallSeries: “INEC cannot use INEC’s current register. It must create a diaspora voter register.”
Special Envoy for Gender Affairs to the UN, Edward Ilechukwu, says Nigeria needs a clear electoral system for Nigerians abroad, with INEC overseeing election administration. pic.twitter.com/9XRM3erJhI
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) September 26, 2026
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To handle polling operations safely and efficiently, Ilechukwu recommended restricting voting locations to official embassies, high commissions, and consulates, supported by formal diplomatic agreements with host nations.
He noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must secure memorandums of understanding with entities like the US State Department to guarantee local security support.
Furthermore, he emphasised that independent INEC-trained personnel or credible diaspora ad hoc staff must manage election day administration rather than embassy officials to preserve credibility.
