By Nkechi Eze
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has intensified efforts to increase the participation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the 2027 General Election through targeted sensitisation and mobilisation of disability organisations across the country.
The Commission made this known on Wednesday in Abuja at a National Strategy Engagement with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), development partners and other stakeholders.
According to INEC, the engagement was aimed at developing practical strategies to improve voter education, Permanent Voter Card collection and turnout among PWDs, while ensuring that electoral information is made available in accessible formats.
Declaring the meeting open, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, represented by the Acting Chairman and National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to an inclusive and accessible electoral process.
Amupitan said stronger collaboration with JONAPWD, OPDs and other stakeholders was critical to ensuring that no eligible voter with a disability was left behind in the 2027 elections.
He disclosed that 137,487 PWDs had so far been captured in the Commission’s database, comprising visually impaired persons, hearing impaired persons, persons with albinism, persons with physical impairments and other categories of disability.
The INEC Chairman said the figure underscored the need for sustained engagement to ensure that PWDs were adequately informed, mobilised and supported throughout the electoral process.
The Director, Gender and Inclusivity Department, Mrs. Lakunuya Dorothy Bello, identified access to voter information, voter education, mobilisation and accessibility of electoral facilities as some of the challenges confronting PWDs.
She urged stakeholders to develop targeted and accessible sensitisation strategies capable of reaching PWD communities across the country.
The Executive Director of Inclusive Friends Association, Grace Jerry, called for stronger grassroots mobilisation through OPD networks, accessible media channels and community platforms, as well as mechanisms for identifying and addressing barriers ahead of the election.
The National President of JONAPWD, Comrade Abdullahi Aliyu Usman, commended INEC’s disability inclusion initiatives but called for more frequent strategic engagements to sustain the momentum ahead of 2027.
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Bar. Ayuba Gufwan Burki, and Founder/CEO of TAF Africa, Jake Epelle, also called for improved accessibility at polling units and deeper mobilisation of PWDs across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The engagement culminated in the adoption of a communique outlining commitments and action points aimed at strengthening the electoral participation of Persons with Disabilities ahead of the 2027 General Election.
