Nigerian Diasporas promise to pursue election voting
By Temitope Ponle/ Fortune Abang
Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation – Americas (NIDOA) has promised to continue its cause for Diaspora voting, to achieve desired goals in future elections.
Mr Obed Monago, a former Chair of NIDOA, said this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.
He spoke on the sidelines of the ongoing Presidential and National Assembly elections in the country.
”About diaspora voting, it is quite unfortunate that the Federal Government did not deem it fit to pass it into law, even after it went for the second reading.
“Eventually, it was voted down, so it is really quite unfortunate that government did not put into consideration the contribution and the impact of the Diasporas to the socio-economic wellbeing of Nigeria.
“The thinking is basically not welcome, but we are not relenting; we are going to take up the fight this time.
“It is going to be more organised and we are going to take it up with the incoming National Assembly too, hopefully this time we are going to prevail.
“Hopefully, during the next electoral cycle, four years from now, we will be voting.”
He said 100 members of the organisation were duly registered to carry out election observation in the country, but were not accredited early.
He said that the organisation designated its delegates to achieve targets more effectively in the election season.
According to him, NIDO’s delegate accreditation was late, but we will try to manage the circumstances to the best of our abilities.
“We are going to do that individually; people are going to submit observations and then, we will compile it.
“I have been following everything that is happening in Nigeria; President Muhammadu Buhari has said it wisely, vote for your candidate of choice and vote your conscience even as a party loyalist campaigning with Mr Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of his party.
“So, that is very nice of him to have said that with respect to promoting free, fair and credible elections and against vote buying everywhere.
The former NIDOA boss commended grassroots awareness being created on what governance should mean, and hoped that people would shun vote buying and adhere to the president’s advice.
“Take that money because it is part of a commonwealth that has been looted, you take it and pocket it. When you get to the polling booth, vote your conscience, irrespective of the money given to you.
“It is our stolen money that they are sharing, so take it because it is part of your own money, when you get into that polling booth, vote your conscience.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Grace Yussuf
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