Your Voices Matter in Credible Elections, Obi Tells Diaspora Africans

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has urged Africans living in the diaspora to champion good governance and advocate for free, fair and credible elections across the continent, describing their voices as vital to strengthening democracy.

Obi made the call in a statement shared on his X account on Sunday following a keynote address delivered on Friday at the Mandela Hall of the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York.

The address, titled The Role of the Diaspora African in Sustainable Development Across Africa, focused on the contributions of Africans abroad to the continent’s development.

According to Obi, Africa remains richly endowed with human and natural resources but continues to struggle with widespread poverty because of poor leadership.

He said the continent has over 1.5 billion people, a youthful population of more than one billion, and nearly one billion hectares of arable land, much of which remains uncultivated.

Obi argued that the missing ingredient for Africa’s development was competent leadership built on capacity, compassion, character and commitment to good governance.

He urged Africans in the diaspora to use their exposure to societies with stronger institutions and greater accountability to advocate reforms back home.

“Even where you cannot vote, your voices matter. They should be heard both at home and abroad whenever things are going wrong on our continent,” he said.

Obi also cited countries such as Japan, China and India as examples of nations that benefited significantly from the contributions of their diaspora communities.

He added that Africa’s professionals abroad, particularly in healthcare, education and technology, could help drive sustainable development if governments created an enabling environment for them.

The former Anambra State governor further stressed that credible elections remained the foundation of legitimate governance and called on diaspora Africans to remain actively engaged in promoting democratic values across the continent.