Despite having a large diaspora population, Nigeria lags behind other small African countries in institutionalizing discrete voting in its electoral system.
Nigerians in the diaspora constitute a significant portion of Nigeria’s population, and the majority play an active role in the country’s pursuit of good governance.
Experts believe that if diaspora voting is incorporated into the constitution, it could permanently change the political system by allowing smarter voters to make informed decisions based on where they live. There is.
Citizens of more than 40 African countries, including South Africa, Rwanda, Mozambique, Malawi, Chad and Algeria, enjoy the right to vote in national elections while living abroad, but for millions of Nigerians living in other countries, It’s not the same.
Over the past decade, there have been attempts by federal lawmakers to amend the 1999 Constitution to make way for discrete voting, but the practice never saw the light of day.
In the run-up to the 2023 general elections, Nigeria’s Senate has rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed expatriates to vote in national elections. Only 29 out of 92 senators supported the provision allowing Nigerians abroad to vote in national polls.
Before the Senate decision, expectations were high among many Nigerians and civil society organizations that the constitution would be amended to make way for discrete voting; Shattered.
According to the latest World Bank Migration and Development Report 40, Nigeria will collect more than $20 billion in diaspora remittances in 2023, despite this accounting for one-third of all remittances to sub-Saharan Africa in the same year. It is said to be equivalent.
The report further stated that remittances to sub-Saharan Africa reached $54 billion in 2023, of which Nigeria accounted for 35.19 percent.
These remittances supplement the meager household incomes that cut through a vital part of the economy: children’s school fees, houses are built, rents are paid, and the sick are treated in hospitals.
Without them, experts say, the multidimensional poverty that affects more than 133 million Nigerians would have been even worse.
According to a recent World Bank report, approximately 17 million Nigerians live in the diaspora. According to the recent World Migration Report, over 400,000 Nigerians were residing in the UK in 2020, and the 2023 report estimates that over 300,000 visa applications to the UK will be approved in 2023. It is shown that it was done.
According to the British High Commission in Nigeria, 255,000 visa applications to the United States were approved between April 2023 and March 2024.
Discrete voting could revitalize Nigeria’s electoral process
Diaspora voting is one of the key electoral reform demands that civil society groups believe has the potential to strengthen the country’s democracy and electoral processes going forward.
Many experts believe that discrete voting needs to be reconsidered if the country is to join the ranks of other practicing democracies.
For many, it is long overdue, especially given the huge number of Nigerians living abroad and the impact it has on the country’s electoral system, especially now that voter apathy has become more pronounced in Nigeria. That’s what happened.
Many believe that if Nigerians in the diaspora are good enough to justify political ambitions, why are they not good enough to vote? They are enlightened and understand domestic issues, so they require little persuasion to vote.
Also read: Senate to consider discrete voting during constitutional review
“The average Nigerian voter in this situation is unable to make informed electoral decisions and the political class is exploiting that flaw to abuse the process and institutions.
Political scientist Kunle Okuade said, “Discrete voting would lead to more informed decision-making and political elites would be more wary of making unrealistic campaign promises during elections.” Probably.”
Voter turnout in Nigeria has fallen significantly since 2007, when 57.54% voted. Of the 93.47 million registered voters, only 24.9 million, or 27 percent, voted in 2023, the lowest turnout since 1999, when turnout was 34.74 percent.
What we are seeing now is that many public officials in Nigeria, including state governors, are elected with less than 10 percent of the vote.
Experts say this small number of votes gives many elected officials, including governors, a lack of legitimacy. They said it was a fundamental right of the diaspora to vote like other Nigerians. This group is too large to be kept out of the process of producing national leaders.
Similarly, stakeholders believe that the participation of diaspora voters will improve the low turnout that characterizes elections in this country. He pointed out that adding discrete voting could improve this dire situation and enrich the democratic process.
“Therefore, every effort should be made to incorporate discrete voting, including by studying templates for countries that have incorporated overseas voting into their electoral systems.
“This technology could also be introduced. If implemented, discrete voting could end earlier than the main voting. It would give election officials more time to organize ballots and prepare for the general election. “There will be enough time for this,” said historian Thomas Oke.
Speaking on the issue, Adekunle Ayoola, leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a political scientist based in Poland, said such a large and educated group of Nigerians should not be ignored. .
According to him, “The contribution of Nigerians in the diaspora to the stability and growth of the national economy cannot be overstated as they remitted $25 billion in remittances in 2019. People who have contributed so much to the nation’s growth deserve more recognition.” It’s not fair to be allowed to have a say in governance.
“The diaspora constitutes a large proportion of highly educated professionals and skilled workers spread across the world and has the potential to influence different sectors and organizations around the world, thereby contributing to their We can use our global exposure to positively impact the development of our country.”
Re-promoting diaspora voting for 2027
More than 115 countries around the world have introduced some form of system that allows citizens living in other parts of the world to vote during their national elections, but officials say the country is ripe for such a system. said that discrete voting was critical to inclusivity.
Ahead of the 2027 general election, federal lawmakers are pushing for constitutional amendments, including a section of the constitution that would allow for discrete voting.
At a retreat last year in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, lawmakers considered amending the constitution to allow Nigerians in the diaspora to participate in electoral processes, including presidential elections.
The federal MPs’ move has been praised by many CSOs and political leaders, including the Interparty Advisory Committee.
But some Nigerians are pessimistic about the sincerity of lawmakers trying to do the right thing, especially when it is not in their direct interest.
For these Nigerians, it would be no surprise if the exercise failed again in 2027. Because it may not be advantageous to their political ambitions.
“So this is a major form of disenfranchisement. Then it becomes difficult to talk about the major votes cast. Thirty percent of the population is outside the country, 70 percent is inside Nigeria, and it is difficult to talk about the major votes cast. If they are not given the opportunity to vote, it means that whoever is elected is not illegitimate and does not have a majority of votes,” Anthony Ubani said. #FixPolitics executive director told BusinessDay.
Additionally, Ubani said some politicians fear discrete voting because it could influence the election results against them.
“In this system, the first question politicians ask is: Will this diaspora vote strengthen our power? Will it give power to our children and friends for longer? Will they give us, or will they influence us and force us out of power?
“I don’t know what their conclusions are, and I can’t say what they’re afraid of, but the logical addition is that they think it’s a threat to their hold on power. They should understand that even if they win the election, they are not legitimate in most cases.
“It’s important to note that if you convene more people and you get to a scale where those people can change the outcome, those people are what we call poor, uneducated Nigerians. It means not.
Speaking on the issue, the national secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Bashir, noted that lawmakers would face difficulties in amending the constitution to accommodate the Nigerian diaspora, adding was showered with
“There are requirements to be elected president of Nigeria.According to the constitution, it is not just a matter of a majority of votes.You also need to get one-fourth of the votes in two-thirds of the states of the federation. So the question is, in which states will votes from the diaspora be considered equivalent?”
They have untapped resources, knowledge, networks and financial resources – Ezekwesili
Speaking on the issue, former Minister Oby Ezekwesili, Founder and Chairman of Fix Politics, said that diaspora communities possess important resources, knowledge, networks and financial resources, all of which are critical to development; He said that it remains largely underutilized because it is excluded from political society. process.
He said giving overseas Nigerians the right to vote would be an important step towards achieving a more inclusive and functioning democracy.
According to Ezekwesili, “Issues concerning Nigeria are important to them because they have families left behind, who may be away temporarily, and who will eventually return to Nigeria.” They need to return to a well-governed country. In that sense, diaspora voting is a very important gateway to activating the voices of the diaspora. ”
