Former National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Chief Peter Ameh, has cautioned against proposals to allow prison inmates to vote in Nigeria’s elections, warning that it could create “a new criminal hub for electoral malpractice.”

Speaking on The Weekend Show, Ameh argued that the current state of correctional facilities makes inmates highly vulnerable to manipulation by authorities and political actors.

“Our prisons dehumanize inmates, deny them access to information, and leave them dependent on those who control their meals and security. In such an environment, their votes cannot be free or fair. Instead, prisons could become centers of electoral rigging,” he said.

He urged policymakers to prioritize diaspora voting ahead of inmate participation, noting that Nigerians abroad remain connected to national issues and contribute the highest remittances to the economy.

Ameh also called for broader reforms to restore integrity to Nigeria’s electoral process. These, he said, include unbundling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen its independence, conducting all elections in a single day to reduce costs and voter fatigue, and mandating electronic transmission of results.

“It is unfair for a president who will be a contestant in an election to appoint the referee of that same election. This is why INEC has continued to lose public trust,” he argued, recommending that appointments of INEC chairpersons and commissioners should be subject to National Assembly scrutiny rather than left solely to the president.

On electronic voting, Ameh stressed the need to enshrine mandatory transmission of results via the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal into law.

“Electronic results leave footprints and reduce manipulation. What we need is political will. When it comes to presidential requests, the National Assembly passes laws in 24 hours. They can do the same for electoral reforms if they want to serve Nigerians,” he said.
As Nigeria moves toward the 2027 general elections, debates over reforms have intensified.

Ameh warned that introducing prison voting without first overhauling the correctional system and INEC’s structure would only deepen manipulation rather than strengthen democracy.

“We must plant trees whose shade we may never sit under,” he said. “If Nigeria wants credible elections, then the focus must be on transparency, inclusiveness, and true independence of the electoral umpire.”