I’m not against diaspora voting if NASS supports it – Buhari

By Sylvanus Okpe

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, said that he is not against Nigerians in diaspora voting during elections.

However, he noted that the National Assembly was required to pass relevant laws to give legal backing to Diaspora voting.

The President stated this in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during a meeting with the Executive Committee members of the Nigerian Community in Ethiopia.

The NICE members under the leadership of David Omozuafoh to the meeting, which was organised by the Chairman /Chief Executive Officer, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri- Erewa.

Buhari said,” I have said it severally that I am not against it ( Diaspora voting). However, you will need to convince the National Assembly to amend the relevant laws to make Diaspora voting a reality.”

The Electoral Act has no provision for Diaspora voting, though the Independent National Electoral Commission claimed it has the capacity to conduct elections simultaneously in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.

The State House said in a statement by Buhari’ s media aide, Garba Shehu, that the President also declared at the meeting that his regime was “ fully determined to combat and defeat all acts of criminality, banditry and terrorism in the country ” .

He added that his primary duty remained to secure the lives and property of Nigerians, whether they lived at home or outside the country.

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