The Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, says Federal Government is making necessary efforts to ensure that Nigerians in the Diaspora exercise their voting rights.

Dabiri-Erewa made the assertion while playing host to the Rwanda High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Stanislas Kamazi, in Abuja.

She, however, ruled out the possibility of voting for Nigerians in Diaspora in 2019.

“Nigerians in the Diaspora have remitted about 22 billion dollars annually.

“But, beyond the remittance, they also want to vote and efforts are being made to achieving that; though, not in 2019.

“It is one effort that we hope will happen in subsequent elections,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had at a forum said that the possibility of Diaspora voting in 2019 was not certain.

Yakubu said that the National Assembly needed to amend the sections of the Constitution and the Electoral Act (2010 as amended) to make way for Nigerians living outside the country to participate in the electoral process and vote.

Dabiri-Erewa said that those in the Diaspora were also interested in investing in the country and government was making the environment conducive for that investment.

“They want to invest in their own country; so, we are providing the structures to make that possible by working with other government agencies to make that possible.

“Government is also working on data of those that have returned; lots of them are going into farming and they are not regretting investing in their country. (NAN)

– Dec. 7, 2018 @ 18:55 GMT |