The Nigerian Senate is actively considering a bill that could extend the privilege of voting in the country’s general elections to Nigerian nationals residing abroad.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Ekiti, made this revelation during a virtual panel discussion organized by the Engage Diaspora Foundation in partnership with the Directorate of Diaspora and International Affairs within his office.
The engaging dialogue, titled “A Pivotal Step Toward Achieving Diaspora Voting Rights,” was reported by the People’s Gazette.
Senator Bamidele disclosed that the proposed legislation is currently under review in the Senate and has already progressed to the stage of a first reading, which took place just two Tuesdays ago.
This initiative holds the potential to empower Nigerian expatriates with a direct voice in shaping the nation’s future through their participation in the electoral process.
The lawmaker said, “It passed the first reading and was scheduled for the second. Definitely, I can assure you, as the leader of the Senate, we will be considering the second reading of the bill during this week.”
Recall that in March 2022, the 9th Senate declined to approve the diaspora voting bill, which aimed to amend the 1999 Constitution to enable Nigerians living abroad to take part in electoral voting.
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During the event, Bamidele, the main host, assured the Nigerian diaspora community that the 10th Senate would make stronger efforts to pass the bill this time around.
He said, “We will do our best to make sure that this time around, we achieve your desire in this regard.”
Millions of Nigerians have established themselves in foreign countries, and here are the top ten nations with significant Nigerian populations.
Leading the list is the United States, home to 380,785 Nigerians, followed by the United Kingdom with 190,000, Germany with 56,000, Italy with 71,000, Canada with 51,800, France with 30,000, South Africa with 30,000, Ireland with 17,542, China with 10,000, and the Netherlands with 9,453 Nigerians.