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Thursday, 18 December 2014

Nigerian prison inmates now have the right to vote during elections

Justice Mohammed Lima of the Federal High Court in Benin, Edo State, yesterday ruled that inmates of all prisons across Nigeria have the right to vote in all elections conducted in the country.

The suit was filed 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 Comptroller-General of Nigeria Prisons Service.


The plaintiffs had in an amended Originating Summons, asked the court to determine “whether having regards to the provisions of section 25 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended in 2011, and section 12 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010, the plaintiffs are not entitled to be registered as voters by the first Defendants.”

132 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Dats a good one but criminals ll vote4 dia pple



      Amakadarlyn@yahoo.com

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    2. It's a good one, I think they still have the right to vote.

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    3. Okay oo, hope it doesn't lead to violence in the prison

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    4. Hope you know that some of them are innocent.. trust the nigeria justice system..lol..see that guy behind,is he the plate keeper?..buh they packed up like sardine..crime doesn't pay..

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    5. Amakadarlyn@yahoo.com thenwhat will you call what Nigerians have been doing voting incompetent leaders?

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    6. Gud advocates.... Cos some are inn there for crime they know not.

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    7. Waste of tax-payers moni, dey beta left dem alone cos dey are serving dere punishment....criminals helping criminals.....alabusi
      Gab2shoessaysso

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    1. And what difference does it make #onelovefromSnow#

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    2. Well i have mixed feelings about this!!

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    1. What's about the criminals that's the Nigerian population have been voting for

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  4. Owuya. Obumnemeudeze@gmail.com

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  5. They are human beings and Nigerian too

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    1. Yes but some of their rights and freedom are taken away as a result of paying for the crimes they committed. I feel they should not be allowed to vote (1) they r criminals and will always want criminal to rule (2) they should have enough consequences to their actions (3) that's avenue for those political criminals to rig.

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    2. Anonymous shut your ignorant mouth...is jail not enough consequence? They r members of society n have every right....

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  6. As if they are going to enjoy anytin frm the people they are voting for.

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  7. Nice development
    *
    *
    #wethebest #LibR

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  8. Good sha. Smh. Obumnemeudeze@gmail.com

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  9. Hmmm. This is senseless if you ask me.
    Unless it'd be strictly for inmates who would be released within the tenure of the to-be-elected government

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  10. Good for them, they're part of nigerians.

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  11. Hmmm it is well I just hope its not another means to rig the forthcoming election

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    1. It is o. In what democratic country are criminals allowed to vote????? So confused right now!

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  12. i laugh in swahili.... as if it'll change anything

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  13. "what will be will be" still works even if other Aficann citizens are given the right to vote , its who God says would win that will win. Jer 29:11. BishopDammy#

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  14. They will do anything in their power to get votes.

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  15. Is the issue in the country?

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  16. Hahahahhahah vote imagine that rubish well speechless

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  17. Hahahahhahah vote imagine that rubish well speechless

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  18. Yeah.. They are still nigerians despite their sins.

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  19. ANYTIN FOR 2015, ONLY GOD WILL HELP US

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  20. Yea right!... Trying to make dem relevant... Even if their vote might not count

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  21. politicians get ready to do campaign in prison. checkout my blog victoriabassey.blogspot.com

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  22. Chaiiiii. Dis place is not gd 2 visit. I feel 4 dem. oneandonlynwa@gmail.com

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  23. The way forward for Nigeria is yet unknown....is this part of the new constitution of has Nigeria really become a lawless state like Wale said? Means employed to rig 2015 election. »»»»»QUEENMAYA»»»»»

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  24. Nigeria prison is just hell look at the environment and how hungry they look, just pity dem ppl should just avoid crime.

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  25. Its a good thing that prisoners can now exercise their franchise

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  26. Na the system them wan use manipulate the votes, PDP at work

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  27. Doesn't being in prison automatically disenfranchise you?

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  28. It's one thing to vote. It's another thing for the to count.

    ***ECHOMASS***

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  29. Austine ihechukwu18 December 2014 at 20:19

    With all due respect, this doesn't make sense, nigerian prisons that doesn't av facilities like radios nd tv's? Hw will the inmates knw who 2 vote? 2ndly it will encourage rigging, haba, na wa ooo

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  30. Wow datz cool....Afterall they are still citizens

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  31. after voting, will it make a change?? they will still be in that place any one can be!


    #GodblessNigeria

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  32. I hope their vote will count.

    ***ECHOMASS***

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  33. Oya GEJ and GMB make una go campaign for prison



    Auntylindagoddaughter

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  34. Hmm. How will they even decide who to vote for when they are shut out of everything happening around them.

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  35. Animal called Boko haram all of u will soon be kill b surd!

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  36. Arrant rubbish if u ask me. after being given equal rights with virtually everyone else, you break the laws of the land, spend tax payers monies with trials that expunged you from society to be placed behind bars and now suddenly, you still retain your rights to vote?
    If convicts can now vote, the very next thing you will hear is that ex-cons are eligible to be voted for.

    -Kunle Dulan

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  37. Hahahaha this one na punishment..
    What do they stand to gain by voting?

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  38. Dats gud, really pity these ones o, some are there for no fault of theirs

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  39. NYC-1 say: I think Nigeria judicial system is deficient and almost useless. How are the prisoners going to know the best candidate to vote for when they have no electricity to watch television,and be informed of the political ideology of the candidates . You barely feed these people, and some of them are being detained without trial, and you are talking of their voting right as if that is their immediate needs. Why not sanitize the environment they live in and treat them like human beings first, before saying useless things like the right to vote?

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  40. Yeah i think it's a good one they're still citizens afterall

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  41. I wonder if they're even counted during census.

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  42. That's good. Freedom to vote!

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  43. Its dem dat sabi.. Nt my business

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  44. This Judge should cover his face in shame. Oya, let the inmates also pick nomination forms and contest for electoral positions while in prison. Shameless Judge making caricature of the legal profession. Emeka Emeritus says so.

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  45. campaign be like vote for me nd get freedom* lool

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  46. Well , this people should only be allowed to vote if they listen to the news like every other free person , if not, then there vote should not count

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  47. So now campaign go reach prison yard, it's alright

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  48. Voice of criminals and the innocent


    @lwkmd_naija

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  49. politicians finding all means to jx win election....hmmm....I 2 luv niaja jare... josephgbakeji@gmail.com

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  50. Who go. Be their pooling agent? #MisplacedPriority

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  51. Sounds great, at least they are citizens

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  52. Let the govt free some prisoners that has spent so many years...

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  53. Jeeeezz! So this is whr this pple sleep, for christ sakes Nigeria is richer than this, they are convicts doesn't mean they are animals.

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  54. We that aren't in prison are yet to receive our permanent voters cards.how do we ascertain the truth for inmates that vote when the government doesn't even have the actual number of inmates.another means for PDP to rig sha.

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  55. Yea that's good move for our inmates but make Dem no go vote for person Wey go end up in prison like them

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  56. Look at hw hungry dey look....

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  57. why are people posting ignorantly, a prison or instead, a convict has no right to vote or be voted for. Can,t people see tha suppose plan of the govt for next year. How many people will want to inspect or observe the electoral process in prisons

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  58. why are people posting ignorantly, a prison or instead, a convict has no right to vote or be voted for. Can,t people see tha suppose plan of the govt for next year. How many people will want to inspect or observe the electoral process in prisons

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  59. does this mean they have been enfranchised also? Like they can contest after their prison terms?

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  60. this is a welcome development for Nigerians


    BELIEVE ALL THING HERE

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  61. Think it's fair enough

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  62. Wetin dem know? just using them

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  63. So all dis polithieves will start promisin inmate freedom jst to get votes?????? Ds rubbish n who signed dis confuse fin?????

    ~@iamjbankz SA to President Jonathan 2015~

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  64. Hmm wich kine yeye law b dat.....dey shuld also allow dem to contest na..

    ~~~~DIAMONDZ~~~~

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  65. They don't have no right to good food, no right to light, right to good water, no right for rehabilitation, but they have right to vote abi? Dt is wired hmmmn

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  66. Good! but I hope there's no foul play?

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  67. Good idea, may be the politicians will give them food and clothes during campaign, cos they are really suffering, my cds group visited Osun state prison wen I was serving, OMG I cried for them. Yes! They are criminals but our government should pls remember them, Shebi we dey watch Oyinbo films,we see how their prisons are. God bless Nigeria. We are soo far behind.

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  68. Once sum1 has bin convicted..the person's civic rights are taken away voting included..wich kin judiciary b dis..mk una check am wella dat judge fit dn go sanko b4.evri irregularity(ies) starts with and from Nigeria.

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  69. MR EDDY said...
    ^
    This ain't gone end well. I just dey here dey watch.
    ^
    ^
    ^™THAT EDOBOY.COM~

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  70. The government should improve the basic rights of these prisoners first. What has voting got to do with anything! This is a clear act of putting the cart before the horse. Smh

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  71. Erm....i don't know what to say. Not sure if it's a good idea or not...boko would vote for boko
    Guys, do you seek a 'serious' relationship? Try
    BV HookUps

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  72. Jonathan is looking for all means to Rig the forthcoming election. SMH

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  73. This is yet another perfect opportunity for rotten politicians to make up names of people way no even dey prison and cast votes for themselves and their allies using those names.

    More than half of Naija prison population are illiterate. They no get access to TV, radio, newspaper, etc, so how the f**k are they going to know the real dikoko about the mumu dey wan vote for?

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  74. Campaign will be taken to them also

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  75. Those guys are suffering in there and you expect them to come out and vote. Voting is made for people in good state of mind.

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  76. attyms wen think about most ppl suffering sufer for wat they knw nothing about, I just weep. may grant dem help amen

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  77. This is just stupidity at its peak. They dont know what happens outside their prison walls. How do they know who to vote for?

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  78. They don't have no right to good food, no right to light, right to good water, no right for rehabilitation, but they have right to vote lol funny JC

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  79. Ok, gud to know... no matter what their votes still matters...Nice

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  80. Make dis politicians no go use all diss inmates o # joy simon

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  81. we hope its for the good of the nation.

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  82. Very good thing that might bring lots of periodic evil in the prisons

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  83. eyah.....as long as dea dt bribe them with food ad cloths oo

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  84. who will they vote for? are they receiving information where they are? if not, no need.

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  85. That's a good development,but politicians and govt in power should not abuse it,by using it as an avenue to rig elections.On the part of the prisoners,they should see it as an opportunity to vote out those politicians that have know feelings for it people.#GoodOne

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  86. make GEJ and GMB go campaign for prison, i'm sure they will vote for GMB !!

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the comment writers alone and does not reflect or represent the views of Linda Ikeji.

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