A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja will, on March 19, hear a suit seeking the order of the court to allow prisoners in Nigeria exercise their voting right.

The suit was filed by legal defence and assistance project and one Mr Godwin Pius, a prisoner currently on death row at the Ibara prisons in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

At the hearing of the suit on Tuesday, lawyer to the plaintiffs, Mr Chino Obiagwu, applied for the withdrawal of a motion seeking to join the Attorney General of the Federation in order to speed up the hearing of the suit.

The plaintiffs in their originating summons are seeking a declaration of the court that all prisoners in Nigeria above the age of 18 have the right to vote and participate freely in the government of Nigeria as guaranteed under section 14, sub section 2(c) of the Nigerian Constitution.

They prayed the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the names of all prisoners in Nigeria in the voters register and also set up polling centres in all prisons and detention centres