The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has given assurance to People With Disabilities, PWDs, that every arrangement has been made to ensure they have fair treatment during the upcoming general elections.
Chairman of the Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, gave the assurance during the campaign to promote mainstreaming of PWDs in the electoral process organised by the Albino Foundation.
Yakubu said he is aware of data by the National Population Commission (NPC) estimating that at least nineteen (19) million Nigerians are living with disabilities.
“From our records, many of them are registered voters. We owe it a duty to our democratic and electoral processes as well as national growth and development to encourage their active participation as citizens with equal rights.
“They constitute the category of marginalised groups along with women and youths. Therefore, all barriers to their inclusion must be dismantled. In partnership with the disability community, INEC will continue to promote inclusivity, not in a symbolic but practical way.
“Our emphasis is not just on their participation as candidates during elections in particular but involvement in the electoral process in general. Already, we have taken several practical steps in this direction.” he said.
He also recalled that a few years ago, the Commission accredited PWDs as election observers, adding, “By this decision, Nigeria became the first country in Africa where PWDs in their own right observed elections beginning with the Edo and Ondo Governorship elections in 2016. The maiden report of their observation entitled “Disability Votes Matter” was launched in October 2017. I am glad to note that PWDs have remained active election observers since then. This is significant because the feedback received from their observation reports helped the Commission to engage more with the disability community at consultative meetings and to respond to their needs during elections. ”
The Commission he said has launched the INEC Framework on Access and Participation of Persons with Disabilities in the Electoral Process.
Beyond that, a new Department of Gender and Inclusivity headed by a Director was established after the 2019 General Election.
He said, “Working with political parties, we also encouraged them to create PWD Desk Offices. I am glad that some of them have also made provision for PWDs as members of their National Working Committees (NWCs). However, there is so much to do to address the persistent gap in political participation and inclusion of people with disabilities in party leadership and nomination of candidates for elections. I urge parties to do more.”
He continued, One of the progressive provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 is the specific provision on the participation of PWDs in the electoral process. Section 54 provides for assistive and inclusive devices which in a sense has codified some of the initiatives already undertaken by the Commission. The introduction of assistive devices such as the Braille ballot guide, magnifying glasses and posters for the deaf were all products of our engagement with the disability community. In implementing the provisions of Sec. 54 of the Electoral Act 2022, we will continue to engage with the disability community without which the Commission cannot provide the appropriate interventions needed to facilitate their full participation in the electoral process.
“As we continue to prepare for the 2023 General Election, for us to serve you better, we need more and reliable data on disability, particularly the locations with the largest concentration of PWDs. I am glad that working together, a lot has been generated. On our part, we have also gathered data on disability from the last voter registration exercise disaggregated by type of disability. For instance, we now know the percentages of new registrants with albinism, blindness, hearing challenges, spinal cord injuries, downs syndrome, little stature etc.” he added.
He also recalled that for the first time in the history of elections in Nigeria, PWDs drawn from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) participated as Presiding Officers at polling unit level in the last Governorship election in Osun State.
According to him, Ten (10) of them were trained and deployed. We worked with the NYSC to deploy them on the condition that we guarantee their safety. We appealed to the political parties, their polling agents and voters to cooperate with them and the security agencies to protect them. It was a happy experience. They discharged their responsibilities like all other ad hoc staff.
“Here, I must commend the leadership of the NYSC which also deemed it appropriate to recognise their contributions by awarding them Certificates of Commendation after the election. In pursuit of our equal opportunities policy for all Nigerians irrespective of disability, we also look forward to other categories of PWDs to serve as Supervisors, Monitors, Collation and even Returning Officers during elections.”
On accessibility to voting and collation locations for PWDs, he assured the Commission will continue to engage with proprietors of schools and owners of facilities used during elections to provide facilities such as ramps for citizens in wheelchairs.
“Most of the facilities are public schools. I therefore call on the Governments as well as proprietors and service providers across the country to ensure PWD access to all facilities not just for the purpose of elections but as a matter of responsibility. Wherever they are, PWDs should have unimpeded access to all facilities for education, health care etc. I must add that it does not take much to do so.”
