Gaya assures on Diaspora voting
By Emmanuel Mogbede
Sen. Kabiru Gaya (APC-Kano) has assured that Nigerians in the Diaspora would be able to vote from their countries of residence during elections, once the Constitution was amended.
Gaya, who is also Chairman of the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) gave the assurance when he spoke at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) forum in Abuja on Sunday.
The lawmaker said there had been suggestions on Diaspora voting, adding that Nigerians in the Diaspora should be able to vote wherever they resided.
“The issue has been discussed. We certainly don’t have problems with the people in Diaspora voting for the president or governors they want or whichever position.
“I know it is also a constitutional issue but we may have to amend the Constitution to ensure that.’’
Gaya added that some groups had sponsored a bill for constitutional amendment to accommodate Diaspora voting.
“We are waiting; Nigerians should wait for the National Assembly to deliberate on that.
“And when the issue of amendment of the Constitution comes up, that issue I know will be inserted in the amendment, but it has to be approved.
“And you know that approving constitutional amendment is not an easy thing, the two houses have to agree, the Senate and the House of Assembly have to agree,’’ he said.
Gaya, however, added that State Houses of Assembly and governors would have to be involved for the process to go through.
On governors and senators defecting from their political parties after winning elections, he said the issue of defection was clear in the Electoral Act and the Constitution.
” The only time an elected official can defect from his political party is when there is crisis, especially if he doesn’t feel comfortable with such development,’’ he said.
He explained that when there were no crisis in a party and an elected representative defected to another party, he was expected to vacate his seat.
This, Gaya said, was because he was not the person that was voted for in the first place, but the party.
“Everyone whether in the Senate or the National Assembly was elected on party platform, so you have to vacate your seat if you defect when there is no crisis in your party.
“This is the situation, and the law is clear about it, the Speaker or President of the Senate should declare the seats of such elected persons vacant.
“They should go for a fresh election on the platform of their new party, if they win, fine, if they don’t, it is their problem,’’ he said.
Mr Ade Omole, Chairman of Nigeria Diaspora Voting Council, said that Diaspora voting was already being practiced in other democratic countries, adding that Nigeria as the most populous black nation should not be exempted.
“It is instructive to state that Nigerians in the Diaspora make the fifth largest remittances worldwide after India, China, the Philippines and Mexico.
“Interestingly, there are 115 countries world over that allow voting by their Diaspora citizens, out of which 28 of such countries are found in Africa, “he said.
Omole said it was important for Nigeria as the future of Africa, to entrench Diaspora voting in its electoral process.
He said that the council would be working in collaboration with INEC, National Assembly and other relevant bodies to articulate the modalities for Diaspora voting. (NAN)
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