Professor Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has revealed the intention of his commission to pursue its aspiration of introducing Diaspora voting into Nigeria’s electoral system without let up.
Jega restated the intention on Tuesday, after the Indonesian Embassy extended an invitation to INEC to observe the voting of Indonesians currently residing in Nigeria as part of the Asian country’s parliamentary elections scheduled to hold on the 9th April.
Extending the invitation to INEC during a courtesy visit to Jega in Abuja, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, H. E. Sudirman Haseng, pointed out that Indonesia has a total population of about 240 million, out of which 180 million are eligible voters.
The voting of Indonesians based in Nigeria is billed to hold at the country’s consular offices in Lagos on Saturday 5th April 2014 and in Abuja on Sunday 6th April 2014.
Responding to the invitation, Jega admitted that Nigeria has a lot to learn from Indonesia’s electoral experience, noting that INEC has been doing its best to open up the system for citizens in Diaspora voting, but the legal impediments persist.
“There are legal inhibitions, because our laws prohibit Diaspora voting”, He said.
This is not directly so; but there is a provision in our laws that requires every eligible person to cast their ballot at the polling unit where they have registered as a voter.
The implication is that for people in the Diaspora to participate in our elections, they will have to come home to register as voters, and subsequently cast their votes at the polling units where they registered”.
He expressed his anticipation that INEC’s proposal to the National Assembly for an amendment of that provision will be accepted, particularly because other countries are involved in the practice.
“It is good to know that Indonesia does it, because we are looking out for the best model that can be adapted to our country when the time comes”, he said.
Jega used the opportunity to reveal the commission’s readiness for the general elections in 2015.
“Conducting elections in a country like Nigeria is quite challenging, but the Commission is confident that given ongoing preparations, the 2015 general elections will be much better than 2011 and will comply with global best standards”, Jega said.
