APC chieftain defends diaspora Nigerians’ political rights
Prof. Tai Balofin, a key figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC), has reaffirmed that Nigerians living abroad still hold their constitutional rights to political association and participation. Responding to a Federal High Court judgment on the status of diaspora chapters, Balofin emphasized that these rights are protected under the 1999 Constitution. He insisted that the APC’s diaspora chapters remain valid and that the party’s legal team is addressing the court’s ruling. Balofin called for calm among APC members abroad as the legal process unfolds.
Key takeaways
- Prof. Tai Balofin, Special Adviser on Diaspora Coordination and Mobilisation to the APC National Chairman, stated that Nigerians abroad retain their constitutional rights to political participation.
- He referenced Article 31 of the APC Constitution, which recognises diaspora chapters, and argued that this provision poses a constitutional question for the party’s leadership to address.
- A recent Federal High Court judgment declared the establishment of political party chapters outside Nigeria inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act.
- Balofin maintained that the judgment does not strip Nigerians in the diaspora of their rights to associate with and support political parties.
- The APC’s legal department is currently reviewing the court’s decision and will advise the national leadership on next steps.
