Afrigather Nigerians dwelling within the UK share their ideas forward of presidential elections going down within the nation on Saturday.
Final week, a Nigerian court docket dismissed a lawsuit that sought to permit residents residing overseas to vote.
The Nigerian structure states that solely registered voters “residing in Nigeria” have the appropriate to vote.
“In fact 100% I’d vote if I might, I see my colleagues, my counterparts, my buddies in Nigeria going out getting their PVC (everlasting voter’s card, Ed.). and its very inspirational, its very profound, to only see that they need higher, and I need higher as a result of it is my nation, it is residence and I need higher for residence”, mentioned Boye Bangboye, works in funding banking.
Authorities figures from 2017 estimate that there are 17 million Nigerians dwelling overseas and contributing billions of {dollars} to the economic system by means of remittances.
Emmanuel Ahanonu is the sixty-four year-old chairman of Ezienyi Social membership, a membership for Igbo-speaking Nigerians in London added “over the past constitutional modification when the difficulty got here up for debate in the home we have been disenchanted that among the members (of the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee, Ed.) couldn’t see the significance of diasporas voting in Nigerian elections. Take a look at the impression that we’re having on the Nigerian economic system”.
Bolu Ayeye, a 27-year previous Nigerian residing in Manchester share related views.
“If diaspora voters might get to vote I feel there could be extra duty to speculate their cash into the nation. Which might assist, not simply sending a reimbursement residence, however investing time and cash into establishments and placing cash into companies and extra as a result of they belief the route of the nation is heading in. So I feel diaspora voting will assist the nation and I really feel like numerous diaspora Nigerians do significantly take care of Nigeria”, argues Ayeye.
As of 2021, the British authorities estimates that over 300,000 folks born in Nigeria reside within the UK.
A 12 months in the past Nigerian lawmakers voted in opposition to a invoice to permit diaspora voting.
