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Commission seeks National Assembly action for clear legal framework
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Court rulings affirm right of awaiting-trial inmates to vote
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Collaboration with Correctional Service targets smooth implementation
The Independent National Electoral Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to enabling eligible inmates to participate in Nigerian elections, citing multiple court judgments that uphold their voting rights.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, speaking in Abuja after meeting with the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, stressed that the right to vote is a human right that should not be denied because of time spent in a correctional facility.
He referenced practices in countries such as Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa where inmates can vote, and confirmed that a joint technical committee had been established to address logistical, legal, and operational issues.
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Yakubu called for the National Assembly to clarify Section 12(1)(e) of the Electoral Act 2022, particularly on whether restrictions apply to inmates serving life sentences, on death row, or convicted of treason.
Nwakuche noted that over 81,000 inmates are in custody nationwide, with 66 percent awaiting trial, and urged that their electoral rights be protected.
While the Court of Appeal in Benin upheld the rights of five inmates in a 2019 case, it stopped short of ordering INEC to set up registration centres in prisons.
Yakubu maintained that the Commission would work within existing laws to enfranchise inmates, stressing that voting remains a voluntary right, not an imposed duty.
