Nigerian Senate on Tuesday initiated the process of restoring the rights of prison inmates to participate in general election as citizens of the country.
The process came to the fore on Tuesday as senate approved a motion seeking to allow prison inmates vote for candidates of their choice during any election.
According to the five point resolution, senate urged the INEC to update its register of voters to take into account the correctional centres population for the purpose of elections.
Senate also urged INEC to carry out voters’ enlightenment in all correctional centres across Nigeria, to educate the inmates of their rights and necessity to exercise their franchise in general election.
It also urged INEC in collaboration with the Nigeria correctional service to locate voting centres at custodial centres throughout the country, to be used for voting.
Senate in Tuesday’s resolutions, believes that INEC must determine the inmates who are qualified for such voting rights, and ensure that inmates on death row are clearly separated from those on awaiting trial.
The motion which is titled; “The prerogative of prison inmates to vote in Nigeria’s general election: statutory, inalienable and non-negotiable,” was sponsored by Senator Abba Moro.
Senator Abba Moro argued in his lead debate, that citizenship as encapsulated under the Nigerian constitution comes with many defined rights and civic responsibilities, including the right to vote in general election.
Nneka Ukachukwu
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