INEC Moves to Enable Voting Rights for Prison InmatesThe Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering measures to allow prison inmates to participate in future elections, according to its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.
Yakubu made the disclosure on Friday during a visit by the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
He cited a Court of Appeal judgment affirming the right of inmates to register and vote, and noted that INEC had previously engaged the Correctional Service to explore practical arrangements, including access to facilities and addressing concerns raised by political parties.
Yakubu stressed the need for legislative backing from the National Assembly and reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to upholding inmates’ voting rights within the framework of existing electoral laws.
