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African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore accused Nigerian political leaders of deliberately blocking diaspora voting to preserve electoral control during the News Central TV Town Hall in New York on Saturday.
Speaking at the event themed “Diaspora Voting: Promises, Politics and The Path Forward,” the presidential candidate argued that politicians fear the independence of the 17 million Nigerians living abroad, stating, “The reason there’s no diaspora voting is that the Nigerian political system does not like people they cannot buy or control.”
Addressing the “politics” hindering progress, Sowore criticised the diaspora community’s complacency and highlighted government efforts to stifle political engagement.
“NIDO was created by the Nigerian government so that you guys cannot talk about what is happening. It was created by Obasanjo,” he asserted, questioning why Nigerians allowed the former president to establish an organisation designed to keep citizens abroad apolitical when the nation requires active political engagement.
#NCTownHallSeries: “The Nigerian political system does not like people they cannot buy or control… If you have to vote, there’ll be 17 million votes that they have no control over.”
Omoyele Sowore says Nigerians abroad support Nigeria through remittances and deserve greater… pic.twitter.com/OvQKAvtfMs
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) September 26, 2026
He argued that a “conscious diaspora” could single-handedly elect credible leaders without falling prey to voter-buying tactics: “They cannot send you rice. They will not be able to send you the clothes they call Ankara. They will not be able to cart your ballot boxes away.
Read More : NIDO Demands Diaspora Voting Action
Sowore questioned why Nigeria still lags behind 34 other African nations, such as Rwanda, Ghana, and South Africa, that already permit voting from abroad.
Charting “the path forward,” the AAC presidential candidate challenged citizens abroad to overcome complacency, reject complicity in financial laundering, and adopt a radical stance against corrupt officials visiting foreign cities.
Sowore urged the diaspora to confront visiting leaders directly rather than seeking personal favours, emphasising that true electoral reform requires citizens abroad to demand accountability and actively force systemic change in Nigeria.
