₦airaland Forum

BENIN—A Federal High Court sitting in Benin, Edo State, has held that prisoners in Nigerian prisons
have the right to vote in all elections conducted in
the country. Time for sports for the inmates Justice Mohammed Lima, who made the ruling in a
suit by Victor Emenuwe, Onome Inaye, Kabiru Abu,
Osagie Iyekepolor, Modugu Odion (for and on
behalf of inmates of Nigeria Prisons), against the
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,
and the Controller-General of Nigeria Prisons Service, also directed the defendants to ensure that
the applicants were not disenfranchised. The plaintiffs had, in the suit, asked the court to
determine “whether, having regards to the
provisions of section 25 of the 1999 Constitution,
as amended in 2011, and section 12 (1) of the
Electoral Act 2010, the plaintiffs are not entitled to
be registered as voters by INEC.” They had also prayed the court to determine,
whether having regard to the provisions of Section
77 (2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 12 (1)
of the Electoral Act 2010, the plaintiffs were not
entitled to cast their votes at any election in the
country. They had also asked the court to determine
whether the failure of INEC to make registration
and voting provisions for the inmates in the
custody of Nigerian prisons does not constitute an
infringement on their rights as citizens of Nigeria as
enshrined in section 14 (1) (2) (a) (b), section 17 (2) (a), section 24 (b), (c), section 39 of the 1999
constitution and Article 13 (1) and Article 20 (1) of
the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. In his judgment, Justice Lima, said: “Act by INEC to
deny inmates the right to vote is unconstitutional,
illegal, irregular, unlawful, null and void and of no
effect whatsoever. The defendants do not have the
constitutional right to deny the claimants their
voting rights. “Being an inmate is not an offence that impedes
their registration and voting right under section 24
of the Electoral Act; and that the exclusion of
inmates in elections conducted in Nigeria is illegal
and ultra vires.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/prisoners-nigeria-right-vote-elections-court-rules/

When I said those prisoner wey escape na for 2015 election, some people yab me.

oya connect your brain with your head and add 2 + 2 together


Buhari for president jare

holatin:
When I said those prisoner wey escape na for 2015 election, some people yab me.

oya connect your brain with your head and add 2 + 2 together


Buhari for president jare

my Broda... For Niqeria Election 2+2 na 22 oooooo

Xslaze3xd:
my Broda... For Niqeria Election 2+2 na 22 oooooo

lol

Does this mean we will soon see a rash of "prisoner pardons" across the country?

But seriously though, I look forward to seeing the first public official to take his campaign to the prison yard.

That would be something.