The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to allow prison inmates across Nigeria to vote in future elections, following a court ruling affirming their voting rights.
INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu disclosed the development during a meeting with the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
Yakubu affirmed that INEC would comply with the 2019 Appeal Court judgement which granted inmates the right to register and vote.
“We acknowledge the court judgement granting inmates the right to participate in elections,” he said, adding that the commission had held “a series of meetings with the correctional service to work out modalities” for implementation.
The INEC chairman stressed that the process would follow existing laws, noting the need for “clarifications on the category of inmates covered by the judgement.” He also highlighted plans to seek legislative support, saying, “We will work with the National Assembly on necessary legal frameworks.”
Nwakuche revealed that Nigeria’s correctional facilities hold over 81,000 inmates, with about 66% awaiting trial. He cited the court ruling which upheld inmates’ rights, particularly for those not convicted, stating, “The judgement specifically protects voting rights for inmates awaiting trial.”
The policy stems from a 2019 Court of Appeal decision in Benin, which ruled in favour of five inmates who sued for voting rights on behalf of all prisoners. While the court affirmed their right to vote, it rejected their request for INEC to establish registration centres inside prisons.
Yakubu assured that INEC remains “committed to implementing all court judgements” but emphasised that prisoner voting would be conducted “in full compliance with the law.”
The move marks a significant expansion of voting rights in Nigeria’s electoral process, though operational details remain under discussion between INEC and prison authorities.
Discussion about this post