INEC, Correctional Service move to grant voting rights for inmates

 

The campaign to grant voting rights to Nigerians in correctional facilities received a boost as the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche Ofori, met with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja to push for inmate enfranchisement

INEC, Correctional Service move to grant voting rights for inmates

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In his first official visit to INEC since assuming office, Ofori highlighted the plight of over 81,000 incarcerated Nigerians — more than 66 percent of whom are awaiting trial and therefore presumed innocent.

“Anybody can find themselves on the other side of the law. We need to be careful how they are treated. They have rights, and one of those rights is the right to vote. The fact that they are in incarceration should not strip them of their citizenship,” he said.

Referring to a landmark court ruling in Benin and resolutions by the National Assembly, Ofori urged INEC to work towards enabling inmates to vote without compromising security or electoral transparency. “I am here to see how we can, even if not immediately, in the nearest future, extend this fundamental right to inmates,” he added.

INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, welcomed the proposal, noting that countries like Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa already allow inmate voting. He cited court judgments in 2014 and 2018 affirming the right of certain categories of inmates, particularly those awaiting trial, to participate in elections.

Yakubu explained that INEC had previously collaborated with NCoS through a joint technical committee to explore logistics and legal frameworks for inmate voting. This included mapping correctional facilities, categorising inmates, and planning for voter registration, polling units, and observer access.

“Working together, we can seize the opportunity of ongoing electoral reform for a clear legal provision that will specifically cover citizens serving time in our correctional facilities,” Yakubu said. “Our immediate task is to engage with the National Assembly for clarity and legal backing.”

Both Ofori and Yakubu acknowledged concerns over prison electioneering — including security risks, campaign access, and eligibility for convicted persons — but expressed confidence that these could be addressed through cooperation with lawmakers, civil society groups, and other stakeholders.

Advocacy organisations such as the Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organization (CAPIO) have long championed the cause, framing inmate voting as part of a broader effort to make Nigeria’s democracy more inclusive.

“Inmates are part of our society,” Ofori stressed. “If we deny them the right to participate in democracy, we deny ourselves the opportunity to make our democracy truly representative.”