Nigerians overseas share their ideas forward of presidential elections

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 precise to vote.

“After all 100% I might vote if I may, I see my colleagues, my counterparts, my pals in Nigeria going out getting their PVC (everlasting voter’s card, Ed.). and its very inspirational, its very profound, to simply see that they need higher, and I would like higher as a result of it is my nation, it is house and I would like higher for house”, 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 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 disillusioned that a number of the members (of the Impartial 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Bolu Ayeye, a 27-year outdated Nigerian residing in Manchester share related views.

“If diaspora voters may get to vote I believe there can be extra duty to take a position their cash into the nation. Which might assist, not simply sending a reimbursement house, however investing time and money 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 believe diaspora voting will assist the nation and I really feel like lots of diaspora Nigerians do drastically look after Nigeria”, argues Ayeye. 

As of 2021, the British authorities estimates that over 300,000 folks born in Nigeria live within the UK.

A 12 months in the past Nigerian lawmakers voted in opposition to a invoice to permit diaspora voting.