Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo has backed calls for the country to adopt diaspora voting.
Obasanjo made the remark when the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM) Hon. Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and some staff of the Commission paid him a courtesy call in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
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He wondered why the National Assembly cannot amend the country’s laws to make room for Nigerians abroad to vote during elections.
In another event, Obasanjo urged Nigerians to make the right choice during the 2023 general elections.
He warned that making the wrong choice in the election may consume the nation.
Obasanjo spoke as the special guest of honour at the Wilson Badejo Foundation’s 15th annual lecture with the theme, ‘Overcoming the twin challenges of poverty and insecurity in Nigeria’ held in Lagos.
The former President expressed the hope that if the right choice was made in 2023, the nation may witness progress.
It is either we make the right choice in 2023 because if we make the right choice, we would get there.
However, if we do not make the right choice in 2023, things would consume us and we pray against that one. We must make the right choice in 2023.
He had earlier said that Nigeria has not taken its rightful position because of poverty and insecurity.
On her part, the NIDCOM boss lauded Obasanjo for the move to get Nigerians to coordinate their activities under a Non-Governmental Organisation, (NGO), Nigerians in Diaspora Organisations, (NIDO) over twenty years ago.
A statement from the agency’s Media, Public Relations Unit, signed by Gabriel Odu, read:
This engagement process has led to investment by Nigerians in Diaspora in critical sectors of the economy such as health, agriculture, hospitality and tourism, housing, among others.
The NIDCOM boss added that the Commission has also launched a Diaspora Data Mapping Portal for demographic and strategic development.
