The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, announced on Friday that the Commission is taking steps to enable prison inmates to participate in future elections.
This initiative was discussed during a meeting between INEC and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Professor Yakubu confirmed that the process to extend voting rights to incarcerated citizens is underway, which could see thousands of inmates gaining the right to vote.
The Controller General of the NCoS, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche Ofori, visited INEC to push for the inclusion of inmates in the electoral process.
Yakubu welcomed the proposal, noting that other African countries such as South Africa, Ghana, and Kenya already grant voting rights to inmates. He emphasized the need for Nigeria to follow suit through ongoing electoral reforms.
“We have a unique opportunity to work together and advocate for a legal framework that explicitly supports the voting rights of prisoners,” Yakubu said, adding that the Commission’s next step is to consult the National Assembly for the necessary legislative support.