INEC to Allow Inmates to Vote in Nigerian Elections

 
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has announced that inmates in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) will be allowed to vote during elections in Nigeria.

Yakubu made this disclosure while hosting the Comptroller General of the NCoS, Sylvester Nwakuche, at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja.

He reaffirmed a Court of Appeal judgment granting inmates the right to register and vote in any election, noting that the commission has held several meetings with the NCoS to outline the modalities for implementing the decision.

According to Yakubu, these arrangements include ensuring access to voting facilities, addressing political parties’ concerns, and determining the category of inmates eligible to vote under the court ruling.

He also called for the intervention of the National Assembly to support the process, stressing that INEC is committed to upholding the law in this matter.

In his response, Nwakuche welcomed the development, stating that the court’s decision affirms the rights of inmates, especially those awaiting trial.