The Senate has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to allow duly registered and eligible prison-electorates to exercise their franchise during all general elections in Nigeria.
This was even as it called on the electoral body to determine the status of the inmates that are constitutionally and legally qualified to be registered as eligible voters and should vote at elections.
The chamber also urged the Commission and relevant agencies to carry out voter’s enlightenment in all prisons in Nigeria, to educate the inmates of their rights and necessity to exercise their franchise in general elections.
It further called on INEC and all relevant agencies to update register of voters to take into account the prison population for the purpose of elections.
The Senate also urged the Commission (INEC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Correctional Service to locate Voting Centres at Custodial Centres across the country to be used for voting.
These were resolutions reached by the Senate following a motion sponsored by Senator Patrick Abba Moro (Benue South).
Senator Abba Moro, in his presentation, said,
” The Senate notes that certain human rights are inalienable and come naturally with the birth of the individual. One of such rights is that of citizenship. Incarceration though is one of the legal grounds of depriving a person or an offender in custody of certain rights, the right of citizenship cannot at any point be taken away”
He Notes further that Citizenship as encapsulated under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) comes with many defined rights and civic responsibilities, one of which is the right to vote in general elections.
Bashir Mayere
