2019: Court Orders INEC To Register Inmates

On Friday, court of Appeal Benin Division granted the prayers of five prisoners seeking the order of the court to direct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include all prisoners in the voter register.

Justice S. Oseji, delivered the lead judgment on behalf of Justice Helen Ogunwumiju. The appeal was filed by five inmates on behalf of other inmates in Nigerian prisons. Those that filed the appeal are Victor Emenuwe, Onome Inaye, Kabiru Abu, Osagie Iyekekpolor and Modugu Odion.

The judgment affirmed the judgment granted by a Federal High Court in 2014, that prisoners can vote. However, Oseji did not grant a declaration that INEC liaise with the Nigeria Prison Service to create a registration centre at various prisons across the country.

Speaking to newsmen after the judgment, Counsel to the appellant, President Aigbokhan of the Initiative for Rural Development, Information and Legal Advocacy (IRDILA), urged INEC to commence immediate registration of inmates across the country for them to participate in next year’s election. Aigbokhan said they would appeal some aspects of the decision of the Court of Appeal.

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