The Nigerian Senate has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow registered and eligible prisoners to vote in the 2023 general elections.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Kaduna, Hajiya Asmau Sani Maikudi, had announced at the first quarter press briefing on the ongoing voter registration the National Assembly had the sole right to decide that.
“It is at the discretion of the National Assembly. If it is a law, INEC has no option but to implement the law and once it is passed by the National Assembly, people in correctional centres will be allowed to vote,” Maikudi said.
Meanwhile, at plenary on Tuesday, during the consideration of a motion on “The prerogative of Prison Inmates to vote in general elections in Nigeria,” sponsored by Senator Abba Moro, the lawmakers called on INEC to determine the status of the inmates that are legally qualified to be registered as eligible voters.
They urged INEC and all relevant agencies to carry out a voter’s enlightenment in Nigerian prisons, to educate the inmates of their rights and importance to exercise their franchise in the upcoming elections.
The Senate also tasked INEC to update its register of voters to capture the prison population for the purpose of elections as well as work in synergy with the Nigeria Correctional Service to locate voting centres at custodial centres across the country.
