By Olayinka Ajayi
The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Lagos State, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure every vote counts, including PWDs, at the 2027 general election.
Speaking on Monday during sensitisation interventions on People With Disabilities, PWDs, organised by INEC, Chairman of JONAPWD Lagos chapter, Mr Bolarinwa Salami, urged the electoral commission to make its facilities accessible for PWDs to cast their votes seamlessly.
He said, “While I commend INEC for engaging persons with disabilities, the commission should aim at strengthening accessibility for PWDs. Their commitment to credible elections should be for everybody because we all have equal opportunities.
“For our right to have meaning, it is important that polling units are accessible for voters with different disabilities.”
He added, “Let us have an election where every vote counts. Democracy is strong when everyone can participate equally.”
Responding in his remarks, the INEC Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Prof. Ayobami Salami, represented by the commission’s Administrative Secretary, Mrs Oluyemi Adeyimi-Showunmi, while commending the PWDs, said, “Your presence demonstrates our shared responsibility to ensure that every eligible Nigerian, irrespective of physical, sensory, intellectual or other disability, has a meaningful opportunity to participate in the electoral process.
“Electoral inclusion goes beyond allowing persons with disabilities to enter a polling unit. It requires us to identify and remove the barriers that may prevent them from registering, accessing electoral information, obtaining assistance where required and exercising their voting rights independently, safely and with dignity.
“As an electoral management body, we must continually assess our procedures, facilities, communication methods and operational arrangements to ensure that no eligible voter is unnecessarily disadvantaged because of a disability.
“Our commitment to inclusive electoral participation was reaffirmed by the Chairman of the Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, when he disclosed recently the Commission’s targeted interventions to expand electoral access for women, young people and Persons with Disabilities.
“Among the measures announced were the procurement of Braille ballot guides across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Braille-transcribed voter education materials, EC30 PWD posters for deaf voters, and magnifying glasses for visually impaired citizens and persons with albinism. The Commission also announced that certified Sign Language Interpreters would be stationed at all State Collation Centres.
“These measures reflect the Commission’s commitment to addressing the different accessibility requirements that may arise during elections.
“We must also recognise that disability inclusion requires coordinated action across our administrative, electoral operations, voter education, logistics and other relevant functions.
“Every officer who interacts with a voter has a role to play in ensuring that the voter is treated respectfully and receives appropriate assistance without discrimination.”
He further urged representatives of JONAPWD to share practical observations about the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in Lagos State, including challenges relating to information access, physical accessibility, communication and the use of assistive devices.
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