President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed that Nigerians in the diaspora will be allowed to participate in electoral activities if National Assembly amends the relevant laws to make it a reality.
President Buhari made this comment on Tuesday, February 11, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia after the just-concluded African Union (AU) summit.
He said that the presidency has no problem with diaspora voting which has been clamoured for by a section of the electorate and some stakeholders.
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Speaking with members of the executive committee of the Nigerian community in Ethiopia, he said: ”I have said it severally that I am not against it.
“However, you will need to convince the National Assembly to amend the relevant laws to make Diaspora voting a reality.”
Earlier, The Herald reported that President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the African Union (AU) to develop new strategies to tackle insurgency and other security challenges in different parts of the continent.
President Buhari made the demand at High Level meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council on the State of Peace and Security in Africa at the 33rd AU Summit, currently ongoing in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
This was contained in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.
The statement read: ”In Burkina Faso, we (ECOWAS) pledged to mobilize one billion US dollars to address the challenges of insecurity in our region and the Sahel. In Guinea Bissau, ECOWAS successfully midwifed the general elections.
”Nigeria along with ECOWAS member states led in the restoration of democracy and peace in the Gambia,” he said, while welcoming the collaborative leadership of the AU with other Regional Economic Communities in resolving conflicts on the continent.
”Nigeria condemns, in the strongest terms, the perpetrators of terrorism in Libya, the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and parts of the Horn of Africa.
”We reiterate that efforts must continue to be pooled to mitigate this dreadful violence and secure the future of our continent. The AU must strengthen its own capacity for mediation and develop an effective intervention roadmap.
”In this regard, my delegation will always fervently contest attempts to make Africa subsidize the primary responsibility of the UN as clearly provided in it Charter.
”We are hopeful that the Inter Water Basin Transfer Initiative for the recharging of the Lake Chad will address some of the drivers of terrorism, particularly the impact of climate change and inter-communal clashes over access to natural resources. We equally call on the Assembly to direct the full implementation of these AU-inspired initiatives.”