INEC under fire for disenfranchising security officers, NYSC members, and inmates

Segun Adeyemi 15:22 - 26 March 2025

Opposition candidates are still contesting the outcome of the Kogi State governorship poll at the election petition tribunal amid claims of electoral fraud. [Pius Utomi Ekpei/Getty Images]

NYSC corp members officiating electoral process. [Pius Utomi Ekpei/Getty Images]

INEC has been urged to work with civil society organisations to conduct special voter registration exercises for inmates and other affected individuals to ensure a more inclusive electoral process.

A rights advocacy group, the Unemployed Youth Initiative (UYI), has raised concerns over the continued disenfranchisement of security personnel, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, election officials, and prison inmates during elections in Nigeria.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, UYI Convener Comrade Danesi Momoh Prince and Co-Convener Comrade Igwe Manta criticised the electoral system for failing to accommodate these essential groups, calling it a violation of democratic principles.

"The personnel tasked with conducting free, fair, and credible elections ironically do not have the opportunity to vote themselves," the group lamented.

"Unlike in other democracies where special voting arrangements exist, Nigeria’s system deprives them of their fundamental right to vote, raising concerns about electoral fairness."

UYI also condemned the exclusion of prison inmates, arguing that it violates a 2014 court ruling affirming their right to vote.

The group accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of failing to implement the ruling, leaving thousands of eligible voters—many of whom are in pre-trial detention—without a voice.

"The denial of voting rights to these key groups not only contradicts democratic principles but also weakens national unity, governance, and public trust in the electoral process," UYI stated.

The group urged INEC to work with civil society organisations to conduct special voter registration exercises for inmates and other affected individuals to ensure a more inclusive electoral process.