The national conference, on Tuesday, unanimously agreed that Nigerians living abroad should have the rights to exercise their franchise during general election in Nigeria.
Delegates at the conference also approved the establishment of a Diaspora Commission to coordinate activities of Nigerians living abroad.
The conference arrived on resolutions after consideration of the report of its Committee on Foreign Policy and Diaspora Matters.
If this conference recommendation sails through, Nigerians living abroad would be allowed to vote during the conduct of 2015 general election.
The committee was chaired by Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari and deputised by Ambassador Lawrence Ekpebu.
The committee observed that millions of Nigerians living abroad are currently unable to vote in the various elections that take place in Nigeria.
According to the provisions of Sections 13(1)(c) of the Electoral Act 2006 as amended and Sections 77(2) and 117(2) of the 1999 Constitution, only citizens present in Nigeria at the toe of registration of voters can register to vote in any election.
This has left the millions of Nigerians in diaspora disenfranchised and unable to participate in how the country should be governened.
In the light of this endorsement, the committee recommends that the provisions of Sections 13( 1)(c) of the Electoral Act 2006 and the relevant portions of the Constitution be amended to provide for Diaspora Voting Right so that Nigerian citizens living abroad who are not disqualified by law and who are at least eighteen years old by the time of voters registration, to vote in Nigerian elections.
Chairman of the Committee Sir, did you take time to calculate the cost implication of your submission and the possibilities of malpractice in that case. So many Nigerians are in so many places that your mind cant even imagin. How many voting centers will be provided in those countries etc? There are so many questions that need to be clearified. I submit that Nigerians who are legitmate in different countries should be encouraged through finacial support to be self sustaining. More than half of Nigerians living outside the country are living below economic standard, and that has forced so many of them to get involved in so many criminal activities. THOSE WHO ARE LIVING OUTSIDE ARE NOT JUST IN AMERICA AND LONDON.