The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, on Friday, 8 August, 2025 announced that plans are underway for prison inmates to vote during elections, reports thegazellenews.com.
According to Yakubu, the plan was on the agenda in discussions between the commission and officials of the Nigeria Correctional Service at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday, 8 August, 2025.
INEC, who said the moves to address the voting rights of inmates have commenced, added that move would grant voting rights to thousands of prisoners in the country.
The Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche Ofori, was at the INEC headquarters on Friday, 8 August, 2025, to advocate for the voting rights of inmates.
Yakubu expressed appreciation for the proposal, pointing out that several African nations such as Ghana, Kenya and South Africa already allow inmates to vote.
“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.
“Our immediate task is to engage with the National Assembly for clarity and legal backing,” Yakubu said.
