The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has thrown its weight behind allowing eligible inmates to participate in Nigeria’s electoral process.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated this on Friday during a meeting with the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Yakubu emphasised that the right to vote is a fundamental human right and should not be denied simply because an individual is serving time in a correctional facility.
“In several parts of the world, including Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa where our officials have observed elections, inmates are allowed to vote,” he noted.
He recalled earlier discussions between INEC and the Correctional Service and the establishment of a joint technical committee to explore practical steps towards enabling inmate voting. He also highlighted logistical and legal concerns, including access for registration, setting up polling units, conducting campaigns, ensuring observer access, and media coverage within correctional facilities.
“Political parties have expressed interest in knowing whether they would be permitted to campaign inside correctional centres and appoint agents for the polling process.
He also called attention to the lack of clarity in Section 12(1)(e) of the Electoral Act 2022, which restricts voting to citizens not under “legal incapacity,” urging the National Assembly to define whether that includes inmates serving life sentences, on de@th row, or convicted for tre@son.
“Our immediate priority is to engage with the National Assembly to provide a clear legal foundation for inmate voting. Once that is done, we can begin to address the operational details,” Yakubu added.
In his response, Comptroller General Nwakuche backed the initiative, urging INEC to move forward with plans to extend voting rights to inmates. He revealed that Nigeria currently holds over 81,000 inmates, with nearly 66 percent awaiting trial, making them constitutionally eligible to vote according to recent court judgments.
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