NEWS:  March 28, 2007  [Abuja, Nigeria; Washington DC, USA]   Lawyer Femi Falana of  Femi Falana Chambers, Ikeja, Lagos,  has agreed to represent Nigerians in the Diaspora/Nigerians living Abroad in a class-action suit to force INEC [the Independent National Electoral Commission] to arrange for Nigerians abroad to vote in the 2007 and/or subsequent national elections within their current countries of residence abroad.  This follows the resounding legal victory of the New Democrat's presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Prof. Isa Odidi and Hon. Akeem Bello respectively,  in their bid to ensure that their dual nationality status was not used to exclude or disqualify them as originally deposed by INEC.  The current argument is that the constitutional right to vote of such Nigerians is not abridged by living abroad, and that INEC is duty bound to arrange for them to vote to the greatest extent possible.

What is now needed to proceed with the new class-action suit are at least twelve (12) Diasporans who:

1.  actually registered to vote in the 2007 elections:  Please provide all the information on your Voter's Registration Card.  A scan of the card might be helpful, but is not absolutely necessary at this time.

2.  actually live abroad but have roots at home in Nigeria:  Please provide your full residential addresses ABROAD and in NIGERIA.  It will be appropriate for your address in Nigeria to match the locality of your place of registration in Nigeria.

ALL the following  information should be provided in this format:

Surname:

First Name, Initial:

Sex:

Age:

Delimitation: < ============ From

VIN:    <=================  voter

Date of Issue:   < ===========  card if registered, leave blank otherwise.

Full Address Abroad (not just town, and country):

Full Address in Nigeria (not just town and country):

 

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Twelve names of registered persons will do it for now, but the more the merrier in this class action suit, particularly since we also want a geographical spread across the six geo-political zones in Nigeria.  However, you do not need to be registered to ask to be listed in the suit:  we just need at least a dozen registered people.

 

 

Please send the information to any of the following addresses:

 

Prof. Isa Odidi,  isa@isaodidi.com  

Hon. Akeem Bello, akeembello2007@yahoo.com  

Prof. Mobolaji E. Aluko,  alukome@gmail.com  

 

Deadline is Monday, April 2, at 12 noon.

 

 

Thank you in advance for responding expeditiously to this important matter.  Remember that we need at least twelve names of registered Diaspora voters - in fact, we now need only SEVEN more such names.

 

This is one more opportunity for Nigerians in the Diaspora to make a difference and assert our citizens' rights.

 

 Sincerely yours in the struggle for a New and all-inclusive Nigeria:

 

Prof. Isa Odidi,

New Democrats Presidential Candidate  < isa@isaodidi.com >

Hon. Akeem Bello,

New Democrats Vice-Presidential Candidate <akeembello2007@yahoo.com  >

Prof. Mobolaji E. Aluko,

President, Nigerian Democratic Movement (NDM) <alukome@gmail.com>