It is often at election time when questions around nationality come to the fore – when the meaning of citizenship is challenged in its fullest sense of the right to participate in public affairs of a country. There are many well-known cases of politicians whose right to nationality in the country where they wish to stand for office has been brought into question. Some of these have been litigated up to the level of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, but less-well known cases arise with almost every election. Elections also see regular assertions that certain groups of potential voters have been registered to vote even though they are not citizens.
By Amina Wako Exiled lawyer and politician Miguna Miguna has taken legal action against Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang’i, and 24 other government officials following his Kenyan citizenship denial. They government officials include the Attorney General, Principal Secretary of the…
By AGGREY MUTAMBO Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has cemented his nationalistic credentials by renouncing his American citizenship as the electioneering race heats up. On Thursday, President Farmaajo, who had acquired his US citizenship by naturalisation after serving as a…
By Ntwaagae Seleka Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has threatened to take legal action against author Dan Roodt over a tweet claiming Lesufi is not a South African citizen. “… I have read all his [Hendrik Verwoerd] speeches. Yet, Lesufi…
The President of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo has renounced his citizenship of the United States, according to the humanitarian journalist Moulid Hujale. This comes as 38% of the federal MPs of Somalia have dual citizenship. The issue of Somali…
Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has renounced his American citizenship, his office announced Thursday, without elaborating on why the dual citizen chose to give up his adopted passport. Mohamed, known widely by his nickname Farmajo, began the process to relinquish…
By Josiah Oluwole The Ondo State Election Petitions Tribunal has nullified the election of a member of the House of Representatives, Ikengboju Gboluga. Mr Gboluga represents Okitipupa/Irele federal constituency. He was sacked by the tribunal for allegedly having dual citizenship.…
By Luka Biong Deng Kuol* When I was expelled from South Sudan in 2015 for organizing a public lecture at the University of Juba on the Presidential Decree to create 28 states, the government in Juba, in its response to…
[Extract from: “Digital ID in Africa this week”] As the national ID card continuation is sworn into law, ID policy in Côte d’Ivoire is proving increasingly controversial. Notions of citizenship and nationality are coming to the fore again as the…
By Stephen Kwaku Asare | Professor at University of Florida and CDD-Ghana Democracy and Development Fellow in Public Law and Justice Ghana has declared 2019 as the “year of return” for Africans in the diaspora, as part of its commemoration…
Par Adama WADE Il avait pris la Somalie et pensait rendre le Botswana. Ce slogan du président Mohamed Abdel Aziz s’est évanoui dans les fumées et les lacrymogènes des manifestations post-électorales qui secouent le pays depuis le 22 juin 2019.…