Senate To Consider Diaspora Voting Bill This Week – Sen Bamidele

The 10th Senate has affirmed its commitment to reviewing the Diaspora Voting Bill in the current week.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti) conveyed this assurance during a virtual dialogue organised by the Engage Diaspora Foundation in collaboration with the Directorate of Diaspora and International Affairs under his office.

Themed “A Pivotal Step Toward Achieving Diaspora Voting Right,” the dialogue addressed the rejection of the bill by the 9th Senate in March 2022. The proposed legislation aims to amend the 1999 Constitution, enabling Nigerians residing outside the country to actively participate in the electoral process as both voters and candidates.

Bamidele emphasised this commitment to the diaspora cause, recognising their interest and contributions. The senator assured that the 10th Senate would exert additional efforts to pass the bill, highlighting the importance of recognising diaspora voting as a constitutional right.

The bill, which had faced rejection in the previous session, signifies a push for broader inclusivity in the electoral process. With the 10th Senate’s renewed focus, the reconsideration of the Diaspora Voting Bill is set to be a pivotal development in the ongoing discourse surrounding voting rights for Nigerians abroad.

“Nigerian citizens in diaspora have shown tremendous interest in participating in the electoral process; they make considerable contributions to the economy through substantial financial remittances to the country.

“Diaspora voting is consistent with global best practices,” he said.

In his presentation, Bamidele, the Chief Host/Chief Speaker at the event, assured Nigerians in Diaspora that the 10th Senate would put in more effort to pass the bill this time.

He said, “We will do our best to make sure that this time around, we achieve your desire in this regard.

“When you talk about diaspora voting, it is a right; if anybody is granting you that right, it is not as if they are grating you any favour. It is your right.

“The essence of this fight is just to make sure that the right is recognised in our constitution because the constitution is the basis upon which every other thing rests.

“The constitution is the operational manual for both the government and the governed in our country. It is a right that must be recognised by our law as enshrined in the Constitution.

“Whatever I’m doing with you is not new. I’m trying to build on the effort, genuine effort, people had built in the past and which they are still making.”

The lawmaker further said the bill was already on the floor of the Senate, “and exactly two Tuesdays ago, we had a first reading of the Diaspora Voting Bill.

“It passed the first reading and was scheduled for the second.

“Definitely, I can assure you, as the leader of the senate, we will be considering the second reading of the bill during this week,” he said.

He explained that once this step is completed, the bill will be forwarded to the Constitution Review Committee. This is because the committee is headed by the Deputy President of the Senate, with the Vice Chairman being the Leader of the Senate.

“We are a part of your movement in this regard, and then you can be rest assured, even anyone trying to convince me of the need to pass this bill will need to be converted.

“I’m very much with you in this effort because I see this fight as a generational fight.

“It’s not just the constitution recognising your right to vote in the diaspora, your children and grandchildren and generations coming after us.

“It is also about ensuring greater inclusion in our process. We can not just be so interested in the benefits coming from the Nigeria Diaspora community while also denying what is supposed to be your own constitutional right,” he said.