The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will work with the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and other stakeholders to engage the National Assembly for a clear legal provision on the voting rights of inmates in correctional facilities across the country.
Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, gave the assurance when the Controller General of NCoS, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche mni, paid him a courtesy visit at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday, 8th August 2025.
Prof. Yakubu explained that the matter of inmate voting must be addressed within the framework of the law, noting that elections are governed strictly by legal provisions. He stressed that the ongoing electoral reform process presents an important opportunity to clarify and strengthen the legal basis for extending the franchise to inmates in line with constitutional and international human rights standards. He specifically pointed to the need to resolve ambiguities in Section 12(1)(e) of the Electoral Act 2022, which limits registration to Nigerian citizens “not subject to any legal incapacity to vote under any law, rule or regulations in force in Nigeria.”
“There are various interpretations as to whether this provision relates to inmates on death row, those serving life sentences, or those convicted for treason. Our immediate task is to engage with the National Assembly for a clear legal provision on inmate voting. Thereafter, we can address the specific issues that may arise in the course of implementation,” the INEC Chairman stated.
He recalled that INEC had previously held extensive engagements with the correctional service to consider modalities for inmate voting. These included the constitution of a joint technical committee to review operational issues, the sharing of detailed data on the locations and categories of federal correctional facilities nationwide, and an assessment of how voter registration, polling unit creation, and voter education could be carried out within such facilities. The Commission had also raised, in the interest of transparency, questions about access for election observers, the media, and political parties, including whether campaigns could be conducted in correctional facilities and polling agents appointed on election day.
Prof. Yakubu referenced landmark judicial decisions on the matter, notably the Federal High Court ruling in Benin on 16th December 2014 and the subsequent Court of Appeal decision of 7th December 2018, affirming the right of five plaintiffs awaiting trial to vote in elections. The courts held that, under Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) and Section 25 of the Nigerian Constitution, awaiting-trial inmates retain their voting rights provided they assert the choice voluntarily. He further noted that inmate voting is already a reality in other countries, including Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa, where Nigerian election observers have witnessed the process firsthand.
The INEC Chairman commended civil society organisations, particularly the Carmelite Prisoners’ Interest Organization (CAPIO), for sustained advocacy on inmate voting, and welcomed what he described as the positive disposition of the joint committees of the Senate and House of Representatives on electoral matters toward inclusivity in Nigeria’s democratic process.
Earlier in his remarks, the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service said his visit was both to pay respects to the INEC Chairman and to formally raise the issue of extending voting rights to inmates. He described inmates as a community that may have been underserved and unnoticed despite their potential contributions to national development. He disclosed that the service currently holds over 81,000 inmates, more than 66 percent of whom are awaiting trial and are therefore presumed innocent under the law.
He argued that incarceration alone should not extinguish their civic rights, citing both court rulings and a recent resolution of the National Assembly in support of inmate voting. “I’m here, Chairman, to see how we can work together, even if it is not now but in the nearest future, to grant these inmates the right to vote. What are the things needed from our side as correctional officers? What are the things needed from your side? We must ensure that these people are not denied their rights,” he said.
Mr. Nwakuche emphasised that inmate voting is not only about rights, but also about the dignity of citizenship and the principles of inclusivity in a democracy. Prof. Yakubu, in response, reassured the NCoS boss that the Commission shares the same determination to extend the franchise to eligible inmates, adding that the meeting had reaffirmed the resolve to pursue the necessary legal and operational measures to make inmate voting a reality in Nigeria.
NATIONWIDE CVR: INEC ANNOUNCES 811 REGISTRATION CENTRES, UPDATES ON PARTY REGISTRATION
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise will resume on Monday, 18th August 2025, with the launch of the online pre-registration platform. In-person registration will commence a week later on 25th August, with both processes running concurrently for one year until 30th August 2026.
Disclosing this after the Commission’s regular weekly meeting held on Thursday, 7th August 2025, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Sam Olumekun, mni, said the CVR will be conducted in 811 centres nationwide, comprising INEC’s 774 Local Government Area offices and 37 State and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) offices. Registration will take place from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm, Monday to Friday, excluding national public holidays.
To aid easy access to the exercise, INEC will deploy an online CVR Live Locator on 17th August 2025, a day before commencement, to help citizens find their nearest registration centre. The locator can be accessed via https://cvr.inecnigeria.org/locator.
In addition, the Commission has uploaded a 38-page document listing the addresses of all 811 in-person registration centres on its website and other official online platforms. Each state has also been assigned a dedicated Help Desk telephone number for further enquiries.
Mr. Olumekun reaffirmed that the procedures for both online and in-person registration remain unchanged from the 2022 exercise, with detailed guidelines and instructional videos scheduled for release next week.
Update on Party Registration
On party registration, the IVEC Chairman disclosed that the Commission has received eight additional letters of intent from associations seeking to be registered as political parties since its last update on 23rd July 2025. This brings the total number of applications to 151.
Details of the new submissions, including proposed names, acronyms, logos, addresses and interim leadership structures, have been published on the Commission’s website and social media channels.
The IVEC Chairman further stated that it has created a dedicated portal for party registration and has begun shortlisting associations that meet the statutory requirements to proceed to the application stage. The outcome of this process will be announced after the conduct of the 16 bye-elections in 12 states, scheduled for Saturday, August 16, 2025.
He once again assured Nigerians of INEC’s commitment to transparency, regular updates and full public access to information on all its activities.
Editor in Chief: Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi
Editor: Wilfred Ifogah
Sub-Editor: Esther Chibuikem
Reporter: Nathaniel Audu Gana