INEC, Correctional Service Open Talks on Inmate Voting Rights

The push to enfranchise thousands of Nigerians behind bars gained momentum today as the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche Ofori, met with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja today to advocate for voting rights for inmates.

Ofori, in his first official visit to INEC since assuming office, called attention to the “often-overlooked” population of over 81,000 incarcerated Nigerians — more than 66 percent of whom are awaiting trial and, therefore, presumed innocent under the law.

“Anybody can find themselves on the other side of the law,” Ofori told INEC officials. “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.”

Citing a landmark court ruling in Benin and subsequent resolutions by the National Assembly, the Controller General urged INEC to explore ways to structure inmate participation in elections without compromising security or transparency. “I am here to see how we can, even if not immediately, in the nearest future, extend this fundamental right to inmates,” he said.

INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, welcomed the proposal, noting that other African countries, including Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa, already permit inmates to vote. He acknowledged that court judgments in 2014 and 2018 had affirmed the right of certain categories of inmates particularly those awaiting trial to participate in elections.

Yakubu disclosed that INEC had previously set up a joint technical committee with NCoS to review the logistics and legal framework for inmate voting. This included mapping correctional facility locations, categorising inmates, and discussing voter registration, polling units, and access for political parties, observers, and the media.

“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 leaders acknowledged the concerns surrounding electioneering inside prisons including security, campaign access, and the scope of eligibility for convicted persons but expressed optimism that these could be addressed through collaboration with lawmakers, civil society organisations, and election stakeholders.

Advocacy groups such as the Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organization (CAPIO) have been at the forefront of the campaign for inmate voting, seeing it as part of a broader push for inclusivity in Nigeria’s democratic process.

While no immediate timeline was given, the meeting signalled a rare consensus between INEC and the correctional service that the time may be ripe for Nigeria to join the list of countries allowing prisoners to cast ballots.

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