SENATE REQUESTS INEC TO ALLOW VOTING BY ELIGIBLE PRISONERS 

Oru Leonard

Senate has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to allow duly registered and eligible prison-electorates to exercise their franchise in all general elections in Nigeria.

The Upper Chamber on Tuesday’s plenary equally urged the electoral body to determine the status of the inmates that are constitutionally and legally qualified to be registered as eligible voters. These were part resolutions reached by the Senate following a motion sponsored by Senator Abba Moro in his lead debate, where he expressed worry over the continuous infringement of the voting rights of prison inmates noting that Section 25 of the 1999 Constitution still recognizes them as citizens of Nigeria.

The Senate thereafter urged INEC to carry out voters’ enlightenment in all prisons in Nigeria to educate the inmates of their rights and necessity to exercise them during elections.