The All-right Foundation (TAF) Africa has commenced the mobilisation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the country ahead the 2027 general elections, urging them to prepare to participate fully in the elections as it is their right to do so.
This was as TAF Africa said it is liaising with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to ensure that the safety of disabled persons is secured in polling units across the country.
Speaking during a one day sensitisation programme tagged ‘Able to Vote’, organised for PWDs in Warri South, Andrew Adaji, the Programme Manager, urged them to come out en masse to cast their votes in the 2027 General Elections.
He said the programme was specially designed to create awareness for PWDs to exercise their franchise during the forth coming election, emphasizing that their votes would count.
Adaji stated that disabled persons should be able to vote like every other person as it is in tandem with INEC Electoral Act, adding that TAF Africa is engaging INEC officials at the national level to ensure polling units are assessable to disabled persons.
He also disclosed that TAF Africa was in Delta State to tour six communities with this sensitization programme in order to urge disabled persons to cast their votes in the forth coming election and also teach them on how to conduct themselves during elections.
Adaji stated that TAF is seriously engaging INEC to ensure that the votes PWDs counts.
He told participants that after casting their votes, they should ensure that the INEC officials capture their details in a form called ‘E C 40H’
He said the reason TAF is insisting on the ‘E C 40H’ is because after election, TAF collates the number of PWD that voted and sends a message to the elected Governor, requesting that PWD should be considered for political appointments.
He also mentioned that during elections, there’s priority voting (special queue) for old people, visibly pregnant women and PWD.
In an interactive session with participants, Fatai Onifade, the Chairman of Joint National Association of People with Disability (JONAPWD), Warri South Chapter, stated that one of the main challenges for PWD during elections is transportation to the various polling units, knowing fully well that disabled persons cannot walk fast.
Another participant, Christian Ogbonna also stated that security is a serious challenge for them during elections because in the advent of election violence, it’s difficult for disabled persons to escape.
Adaji assured participants that their safety would be guaranteed.