Nigeria Not Ready For Diaspora Voting, Focus Should Be On Electoral System Improvement- NBA’s Auta Nyada

During the Multi-stakeholders’ Forum on Youth Electoral Reform Priorities held in Abuja on Wednesday, Auta Nyada, Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Legal Education Committee, expressed his stance that Nigeria is not yet prepared for Diaspora voting.

Mr. Nyada emphasized that while the concept of Diaspora voting has been discussed by various groups recently, Nigeria’s electoral system lacks the maturity to accommodate such a practice effectively.

Addressing attendees at the forum, Mr. Nyada advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prioritize addressing the shortcomings observed during the 2023 general election and other off-cycle elections rather than diverting attention to Diaspora voting.

He stated, “Diaspora voting is actually a good idea, but for me, I don’t think that Nigeria has reached the stage for Diaspora voting. Introducing Diaspora voting will require a lot to be successful.”

Highlighting the challenges faced with the implementation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the 2023 general election, Mr. Nyada stressed the need to rectify these issues before considering Diaspora voting.

Mr. Nyada further emphasized the importance of having a robust technology infrastructure in place before venturing into Diaspora voting. He expressed concerns about the integrity of the National Identification Number (NIN) system, citing the possibility of non-Nigerians obtaining NINs and potentially influencing elections if Diaspora voting were introduced prematurely.

He remarked, “We don’t have a watertight security system to identify genuine Nigerians from others, I think Diaspora voting is for the future and not now.”

Additionally, Mr. Nyada called for amendments to the Electoral Act to ensure that all election-related matters are resolved before elected officials assume office. He criticized the current system, stating, “You can’t expect me to have control over the state power apparatus and still expect me to lose an election case in court, it is really impossible.”

As discussions on electoral reforms continue, Mr. Nyada’s remarks underscore the importance of addressing existing electoral challenges before considering the implementation of new voting mechanisms such as Diaspora voting.