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The All Progressives Congress has called for caution over concerns raised about allowing diaspora voting in Nigeria.
The party, while citing constitutional and logistical challenges, had in a communique issued by the Senate, said it would amend the Electoral Act to allow for diaspora voting, especially for the presidential elections, to enable citizens to vote.
The moves were taken after its immersion retreat held in Ikot Ikpene, Akwa Ibom State, in October 2023.
It stated that the amendment would allow those on essential services, such as military, paramilitary, and other security personnel, as well as embassy staff and other citizens in diaspora to vote.
The Inter-Party Advisory Council had earlier backed the move to amend the Electoral Act to allow diaspora voting.
Reacting to the development, the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, underscored the need to consider the legal implications before moving forward with such an initiative.
Basiru added that while the idea of diaspora voting was germane, it must align with the constitutional provisions of the law.
He noted that to be elected as President of Nigeria, a candidate must not only secure a majority of the votes but also meet the constitutional requirement of winning at least one-quarter of the votes in two-thirds of the states.
He questioned how votes cast abroad would be allocated to specific states, emphasising that the issue required careful examination.
He said: “On the issue of aspiration, it is very desirable to have such, but we must know that the constitutional requirement under the Nigerian law needs to be looked into in that regard before we talk of diaspora voting. For instance, to be elected as President of Nigeria, there is a requirement.
“According to the Constitution, it’s not just about the majority votes; you must also have one-quarter of the votes in two-thirds of the states of the federation. So, the question is, those votes coming from the diaspora— which states are they going to be equated to?
“This is not a matter for emotions; it’s a matter we must look into critically, especially at a time when we are battling with the integrity and sanctity of the elections conducted within our borders and are now talking about ballots from another jurisdiction. It is an aspiration we must strive for, but we must consider the constitutional implications and integrity of the elections.”
Recall that the matter was brought to the House of the Senate last moment with the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, describing the consideration of diaspora voting as good news.
Senator Bamidele said, “Let me tell you some good news. Not that we are trying to bring the bill back; the bill is already on the floor of the 10th Senate. Exactly two weeks ago, we had the first reading of the bill. It has already been scheduled for a second reading.
“Definitely, as the Leader of the Senate, I can assure you that we will consider the second reading of the bill this week. After this stage, it will be referred to the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.”
