On the recordMarch 8, 2023
I come to the floor where I am always reminded of the privileges of this Nation. That is why we fight so hard to end voter suppression, oppression, and the denial of the right to vote. This institution is the cradle of democracy. This past weekend we were in Selma, Alabama, where really the first start of democracy and the right to vote was reignited in the 20th century. As Nigeria, our ally and friend, begins to look at its national elections, I call upon the Nigerian diaspora to insist on democratic and safe elections and to be assured that the count is accurate and that the people's voices are counted. As the chair of the Nigerian Caucus in the United States Congress, I must insist that our ally gives the same rights and privileges that we fight for in the United States: the unfettered right to vote and for the vote to count. The fact is that the vote is your birthright and it is your voice. I hope that the Nigerian Government and all of those in the Nigerian diaspora will stand for democracy and the right to an unfettered vote in the Nigerian elections. ____________________
