The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) says 53,460 inmates across the country are currently awaiting trial. The Comptroller General of the NCoS, Sylvester Nwakuche, gave the hint when he paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mahmood Yakubu, at the INEC’sheadquarters in Abuja on Friday.Nwakuche also disclosed that the total prison population nationwide stands at approximately 81,000. He called on the electoral body to consider extending voting rights to inmates, emphasizing that they should not be denied fundamental democratic participation.The NCoS Comptroller General advocated the inclusion of eligible inmates in the electoral process, advocating for the enforcement of legal provisions that permit prisoners to register and vote during elections.Responding, INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, assured of the commission’s readiness to uphold inmates’ right to vote, referencing a 2019 Court of Appeal judgment delivered in Benin, Edo State. The judgment affirmed that prisoners are entitled to participate in elections, effectively recognizing their constitutional right to vote.The INEC Chairman further informed that steps are being taking by INEC and the NCoS to develop a framework that would facilitate inmate participation in elections. The steps include addressing logistical challenges, ensuring access to correctional facilities, managing political party concerns, and determining the categories of inmates eligible to vote under the law.He, however, noted the need for the intervention of the National Assembly to support the legal and procedural aspects required to implement inmate voting fully.Yakubu said that those challenges not withstanding, INEC remains committed to enabling inmates to vote in accordance with the law.The 2019 court ruling, which was the result of an appeal filed by five inmates on behalf of others, directed that the right to vote be upheld for prisoners. However, the court declined to mandate INEC to establish voter registration centres within correctional facilities, leaving the practical implementation of the ruling subject to further legislative and administrative processes.
