The Court of Appeal Benin Division on Friday ruled that prrisoners in the country have the right to vote and has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include all prisoners in the voter register.
Delivered the lead judgment in an appeal filed by five prisoners, Victor Emenuwe, Onome Inaye, Kabiru Abu, Osagie Iyekekpolor and Modugu Odion on behalf of other inmates in Nigerian prisons, Justice S. Oseji, affirmed the judgment granted by a Federal High Court in 2014, that prisoners can vote, but declined granting the prayer that INEC liaise with the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS) to create a registration centre at various prisons across the country.
Counsel to the appellant,President Aigbokhan who spoke to newsmen after the judgment, said they would appeal some aspects of the decision of the Court of Appeal, while urging INEC to commence with immediate effect, collation of the names of inmates across the country and allow them to vote in 2019.