L
LequteMan
Guest
According to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega at a three-day National Stakeholders Forum on Electoral Reform in Abuja, the much anticipated Diaspora voting was not feasible until the Electoral Act was amended.
He said that since the people in the Diaspora were citizens of Nigeria, it was necessary to include them in the choice of electing their representatives at all levels of governance.
At the moment, only citizens residing in Nigeria at the time of registration of voters can vote at any election.
Section 77 (2) of the electoral act says: “Every citizen of Nigeria, who has attained the age of 18 years at the time of the registration of voters for the purposes of election to a legislative house, shall be entitled to be registered as a voter for that election.”
The INEC boss, however, said that it was proposing an amendment to the act, to enable Nigerians in the Diaspora who were 18 years as of the time of registration to vote.
Jega said that denying the Diaspora the right to vote would be an infringement on their right, adding that the proposed amendment would enable them to exercise their fundamental right.
The electoral umpire, however, expressed concern over the conduct of party primaries, saying most political parties flouted the electoral law while conducting their primaries.
The INEC boss said that the electoral act did not give the commission enough power to deal with such cases.
He stated that INEC had to resort to self help on such cases by writing to the affected party to correct the anomaly.
He said that such impunity, where candidate who did not stand for primary was substituted for those who did, would no longer be tolerated, if the proposed electoral act was approved.
He said that since the people in the Diaspora were citizens of Nigeria, it was necessary to include them in the choice of electing their representatives at all levels of governance.
At the moment, only citizens residing in Nigeria at the time of registration of voters can vote at any election.
Section 77 (2) of the electoral act says: “Every citizen of Nigeria, who has attained the age of 18 years at the time of the registration of voters for the purposes of election to a legislative house, shall be entitled to be registered as a voter for that election.”
The INEC boss, however, said that it was proposing an amendment to the act, to enable Nigerians in the Diaspora who were 18 years as of the time of registration to vote.
Jega said that denying the Diaspora the right to vote would be an infringement on their right, adding that the proposed amendment would enable them to exercise their fundamental right.
The electoral umpire, however, expressed concern over the conduct of party primaries, saying most political parties flouted the electoral law while conducting their primaries.
The INEC boss said that the electoral act did not give the commission enough power to deal with such cases.
He stated that INEC had to resort to self help on such cases by writing to the affected party to correct the anomaly.
He said that such impunity, where candidate who did not stand for primary was substituted for those who did, would no longer be tolerated, if the proposed electoral act was approved.