The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said the commission’s decision to allow Internally Displaced Persons vote in 2019 is restricted to Nigerians living within our borders.
He said for the avoidance of a doubt, only IDP’s within Nigeria’s borders will be eligible to vote in the 2019 elections.
Yakubu said this in an address he presented at the opening of the ongoing Election Security Management Workshop holding in Abuja, on Thursday.
He said this clarification became necessary in the light of speculations that Nigerian refugees in neighboring countries will also take part.
According to him, IDP’s only exist within Nigeria’s borders because those who on account of conflict find themselves outside are referred to as refugees.
This category of Nigerians is not eligible to take part in the 2019 general elections because our laws do not make provisions for diaspora voting.
He said “The decision of INEC for IDPs to vote in the 2019 election. This is only limited to IDPs in Nigeria. There is no diaspora voting.”
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