BUSINESS DAY
By 2027, Nigerians outside of the country may be able to vote during the election from wherever they are, Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the House of Reps said on Thursday.
According to Benjamin Kalu, who represented Abass at the first National Diaspora Day event in Abuja, the Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives is sponsoring a bill to enable diaspora voting by the 2027 election cycle.
“I was the one who pushed for this 20 years ago when President Obasanjo tasked us with enhancing our democracy by incorporating Nigerians abroad into our political framework,” he said at the event organized by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), themed “Japa Phenomena and Its Implication for National Development”.
The bill is poised to grant the over 10 million Nigerians living overseas the right to vote, having contributed significantly to the nation’s economy through remittances. “Diaspora remits $20 billion annually and has significantly impacted sectors such as ICT, education, and healthcare,” he noted.
The speaker underscored the urgency of the bill and the need to implement it by the next election cycle in 2027.
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