A Professor of Jurisprudential Criminology at Fountain University, Osogbo, Jurisprudential Criminology, Kazeem Olaniyan, has argued that Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution does not explicitly remove the voting rights of inmates, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to establish polling units within correctional centres to allow prisoners participate in elections.
He made the call during the 8th inaugural lecture at Fountain University titled “The Just, Justice and Judicial: A Jurisprudential Journey in the Justiciable Jungle,” where he examined the legal and ethical dimensions of inmate participation in democratic processes.
Olaniyan noted that the enactment of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019 shifted the philosophy of incarceration from punishment to rehabilitation and reintegration, arguing that excluding inmates from voting contradicts modern correctional principles.
He described the current situation as a form of “civil death,” adding that denying inmates voting rights amounts to a de facto disenfranchisement that weakens democratic inclusion and civic responsibility.
According to him, Nigeria has an estimated 81,000 inmates, with about 68 per cent awaiting trial, stressing that allowing them to vote could strengthen civic awareness and accountability even within correctional facilities.
He further explained that implementing inmate voting would require significant structural arrangements, including deploying biometric registration systems across over 240 correctional centres, ensuring campaign access without compromising security, and preventing undue influence from prison officials.
He also recommended the creation of Special Polling Units in custodial centres through amendments to the Electoral Act, alongside integrating voter registration into the intake process for inmates and allowing civil society organisations to conduct civic education in prisons.
Olaniyan maintained that such reforms would align Nigeria’s electoral system with global democratic standards while strengthening rehabilitation efforts within the correctional system.
