A former lawmaker and Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in the 2023 Imo State election, Sen. Athan Achonu, has called for the constitutional recognition of diaspora voting.
He cited its critical role in Nigeria’s democratic growth and economic development.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Monday, Mr Achonu urged President Bola Tinubu to prioritise the institutionalisation of diaspora voting as part of his administration’s electoral reforms.
He emphasised that Nigerians living abroad make substantial contributions to the national economy through remittances and should therefore be given the constitutional right to participate in the electoral process.
“It is on record that the official remittances from Nigerians abroad hit 20.93 billion dollars in 2024, four times the value of Nigeria’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for the same period.
“It is a paradox that Nigerians in the diaspora, who are monumentally contributors to our economy through remittances and knowledge transfer, are disenfranchised.
“They live in advanced economies whose electoral systems are refined, they know the significance of good leadership and their votes can shape our Presidential elections for the better.
“With current technology, it is amazing that we have not created a secure digital platform for them to vote.
“Therefore, I propose an immediate law to ensure electoral inclusivity for every Nigerian, regardless of their location,” Mr Achonu said.
Mr Achonu, who was in the 8th Assembly, also called for the constitutionalisation of the zoning system to create stability in governance.
He said he had a firm belief that Nigeria needed to confront certain anomalies that “inhibit the nation from making progress”.
“To achieve lasting inclusivity and stability, our zoning arrangement must be constitutionalised.
“It should be made operational, not just for the North and South.
“But to deliberately rotate the Presidency among the six geopolitical zones, starting with the two zones (South-East and North-East) that have not held that position since our democratic dispensation.
“More importantly, when it comes to any zone, the zone should be allowed to have its eight years uninterrupted”.
The former lawmaker also commended the current tax reform initiative of the present administration.
He said: “Its merit lies in its ambition to fundamentally reshape Nigeria’s revenue architecture.
“For decades, we have functioned as a rentier state, overly reliant on the volatilities of oil revenue.
“This reform seeks to change that by: broadening the tax base, enhancing efficiency and transparency and creating a stable fiscal environment.
“In essence, this reform is not about taking more from the people; it is about building a system where everyone contributes their fair share to build the nation”.
On the removal of fuel subsidy, Mr Achonu observed that the proceeds, which were distributed constitutionally to states and local governments, have not yielded the desired result of enhancing the quality of life of the citizens.
“It is my view that the general public should direct their attention to the state governors who received 26.72 per cent and the local governments who also received 20.60 per cent of these proceeds.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that most of these governors have shown no convincing evidence in their use of these proceeds to affect the State’s Human Development Index (HDI).
“Here is the catch: the governors cannot be legally held accountable for any gross mismanagement of these proceeds because they enjoy immunity from prosecution in the Constitution.
“I therefore propose that a much higher percentage be allocated to the local government system, which can be held consequently accountable for any mismanagement of these government proceeds,” Mr Achonu said.
(NAN)