The Nigerian government at federal, state and local levels has consistently demonstrated disdain for its citizens.

The disregard for citizens showed up again last week when the male-dominated National Assembly, Nigeria’s Parliament, voted on constitutional amendments. They voted as follows:

1. Denied Nigerians in the diaspora the right to vote. This is despite the much favoured and needed remittances. Nigerians in the diaspora remitted $17.2 billion (seventeen billion dollars) in 2020 and the World Bank has projected the 2021 figure to be $17.6 billion! {Failed in both chambers}.

2. Denied citizenship to the foreign-born husband of a Nigerian woman. However, a Nigerian man's foreign-born wife gets automatic citizenship. {Senate - Passed | HOR - Failed}

3. Denied women the ability to take indigeneship of their husband's state after 5 years of being together. This amendment is intended to address the injustice women who marry outside their states of origin face as they are unable to benefit from certain rights relating to employment, education, appointment, and election into a political and public office. {Senate - Passed | HOR - Failed}. 

In light of this, we demand an emergency re-convening to reconsider these Bills. We want you to:

1. Sign this petition to the lawmakers and lend your voice to the call for the Office of the Citizen!

2. Call your House of Representatives member and thank them for voting in favour of virtual court proceedings and penalizing cross-carpeting. Ask them to reconsider the others and vote in favour of them. Find out who represents you here - Shine Your Eye!

3. Call your Senators and thank them for voting in favour of citizenship and indigeneship for women. Ask them to reconsider the others and vote in favour of them. Find out who represents you here - Shine Your Eye!

4. Finally, register to vote, so you can vote out anyone who voted against these bills and against the Office of the Citizen! The voter registration process starts here - INEC - CVR.

We are not in this alone. There are protests at the National Assembly and other engagements. Lend your voice, sign this petition and be counted!!!

#BreakTheConstitutionBias  #BreakThePoliticalBias  #OfficeOfTheCitizen