A former Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, has urged the National Assembly to fast track legislation that would allow Nigerians in Diaspora to vote in the 2023 general elections.
Moghalu, the 2019 presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), in a statement, said allowing Nigerians in diaspora to vote would give them a higher sense of belonging.
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Moghalu who is also the convener of To Build A Nation (TBAN), said Nigerians must have the ability to vote from abroad as was the case in Ghana and many other countries.
“Nigerians living and earning their living abroad is not a crime. It is their right. Their citizenship shouldn’t be denigrated because of where they live.
“Every country has a diaspora, some at leisure (people who just want to live in foreign lands), others by force of circumstances (economic migration),” he said.
He noted that fast tracking the constitutional review to accommodate diaspora voting now would give INEC enough time to fine tune the process.
“2023 may seem far but is by the corner especially for INEC as it needs ample time to register and accommodate every eligible Nigerian living abroad to be part of the voting process.
“If the Central Bank of Nigeria can woo diaspora remittances, we need to woo their votes too,” he said. NAN
