JUST IN: INEC To Allow Prisoners To Vote During Elections

For the first time in Nigeria’s democratic history, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to allow eligible inmates in correctional facilities to participate in future elections, marking a major shift in the nation’s electoral inclusion policy.

The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this groundbreaking decision during a meeting with the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday.

Yakubu cited a 2019 Court of Appeal judgment in Benin, Edo State, which upheld the right of inmates to vote, especially those awaiting trial. According to him, INEC had long been engaging with the Correctional Service on the logistics and legal framework necessary to make this right a reality, including access to facilities and addressing security and political concerns.

“The right to vote is constitutionally guaranteed. Our responsibility is to ensure no eligible Nigerian is disenfranchised, including those in custody, within the limits of the law,” Yakubu stated.

He, however, emphasised the need for legislative backing from the National Assembly to establish clear modalities and operational guidelines for implementing inmate voting rights. This includes whether special polling units will be set up inside correctional facilities and how political parties will be allowed to campaign to the inmate population.

Responding, Comptroller General Nwakuche reiterated the Correctional Service’s willingness to collaborate with INEC to facilitate the process, highlighting the urgency given the large number of inmates currently in custody.

“We have over 81,000 inmates in Nigeria today, and about 66% of them are awaiting trial. These are Nigerians who still have their civic rights intact. We must not exclude them from the electoral process,” Nwakuche noted.

If implemented, Nigeria will join countries like South Africa, Canada, and parts of the United States where inmates, particularly those not yet convicted, can vote in elections.

INEC is expected to present a formal proposal to the National Assembly in the coming weeks. Until then, all eyes will remain on how the Commission navigates the legal, logistical, and political hurdles in delivering on this historic promise.