Author: user user

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Adamawa State has reaffirmed the fundamental right of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to participate in the 2027 general elections like other eligible Nigerian citizens.

The electoral umpire also reiterated its deliberate measures to eliminate barriers hindering the participation of persons with disabilities in the country’s electoral process.

The Head of Voter Education and Publicity Department of the Commission in the state Aliyu Hassan Sha’aba disclosed this on Monday during a one-day engagement with the PWDs Electoral Officers (EOs) and Disability Desk Officers at Rockview Hotel Yola.

He explained that every eligible citizen regardless of physical visual hearing intellectual or psychosocial disability has the right to vote and participate in the electoral process without discrimination.

He said ‘Persons with disabilities have the same fundamental right to participate in elections as other eligible citizens. They (PWDs) have the right to participate in the electoral process without discrimination and to receive accurate information about electoral procedures.

‘Persons with disabilities have the right to exercise their franchise freely and without intimidation and be treated with dignity and respect by election officials. They have the right to also report barriers misconduct or other electoral concerns through the appropriate channels.’

He therefore called on the electoral officers to identify and document barriers preventing PWDs from accessing polling units and electoral information while strengthening collaboration with disability organisations and other stakeholders to address the challenges.

On voting arrangements he urged electoral officers to ensure that polling units are accessible to persons with mobility challenges including those using wheelchairs crutches and other assistive devices.

Sha’aba noted that INEC provides ramps to facilitate access to polling units and stressed that election officials should offer necessary assistance without compromising the dignity privacy and independence of voters with disabilities.

For persons with visual impairments he said officials must provide information on approved voting assistance and assistive procedures ensuring that such support complies with electoral guidelines and protects ballot secrecy.

He also called for appropriate communication support for voters who are deaf or hard of hearing including written instructions visual information and sign-language interpretation where available.

He cautioned that assistance provided to voters with disabilities must not be used to influence their choices disclose their voting preferences or undermine the integrity of the electoral process.

Earlier the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Nura Mohammed called for stronger partnerships among INEC disability organisations and civil society groups to improve electoral inclusion.

He said the commission’s interventions include Braille Ballot Guides for visually impaired voters EC30 PWD Written Instruction Posters for deaf voters magnifying glasses for persons with visual impairments and albinism and voter education materials in Braille jingles flyers and posters.

He stressed the need to train stakeholders on the proper deployment of these interventions and take voter education closer to PWDs through schools camps and settlements.

The REC said electoral inclusion must extend beyond election day to cover voter registration education sensitisation and participation as candidates.

He urged stakeholders to work collectively to implement INEC’s inclusive electoral guidelines adding that assistance to voters with disabilities must never be used to influence their choices or compromise ballot secrecy.

Members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Soba Local Government Area of Kaduna State have declared their support for Governor Uba Sani ahead of next year’s governorship election citing his building of roads in their communities.

The residents said they would support the governor at the polls despite their membership of the opposition party noting that his performance in infrastructure development had earned him their backing.

One of them Adamu Danburam a PDP coordinator in his area said he would vote for Sani because the governor had done for his community what the PDP had failed to do.

He said: ‘I am a staunch PDP member but for us politics is about individuals. Although we belong to the PDP I will vote for Sani because he has done for me what the PDP could not do.

‘Even as a PDP coordinator in my area I will vote for Sani because we should vote for someone who knows our community and has done something to improve our lives. I support him because he has constructed a road for us.’

Danburam prayed for the governor to complete his tenure saying residents hoped he would address other challenges facing their communities if re-elected.

He appealed to the governor to provide a hospital electricity and potable water for Birnin Da’a village.

Another PDP member Dogara Mohammed said he had never changed political parties but would vote for All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming election because of the road built through his community.

‘Everybody knows that I have never changed political parties but this time I will vote for APC because of the road he constructed through our town.

‘The road will benefit many people including future generations. It will also help many people across the country especially those who use it to travel’ he further said.

Mohammed added that the residents intended to reward the governor for the project through their votes.

Similarly Hassan Abdullahi said the poor condition of roads had previously made it difficult for farmers to transport their produce to markets in Soba and other locations particularly during the rainy season.

‘Before the road was constructed we faced serious difficulties because of the poor road network. It was difficult to transport our farm produce to markets especially during the rainy season.

‘But now Governor Sani has built a road linking Gurundafi Soba and Turawa. We can reach our destinations easily within a few minutes.

We are truly grateful’ he said.

The residents described the road project as an intervention that would improve transportation ease the movement of farm produce and support economic activities in their communities.

Kaduna State Government has also built roads in other parts of the state including a 15-kilometre road linking Kasuwar Magani to Wusar in Kajuru Local Government and a 23-kilometre road linking Madaci to Madakiya and extending to Kafanchan in Jema’a Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna.

The Lagos State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat has unveiled a 100-point manifesto promising to establish a Child Protection and Nutrition Agency create a state wealth fund and introduce measures to improve infrastructure healthcare education and security if elected governor in 2027.

Hamzat the state’s deputy governor said 87 of the 100 pledges were firm commitments within the powers of the state government while the remaining 13 would depend on consultations with the Federal Government and other institutions.

He unveiled the manifesto tagged The Lagos Promise and also known as the Hamzat Compact at the launch of his campaign theme Lagos… Forward Together organised by the Lagos APC PBAT-KOH Campaign Council 2027 at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts (National Theatre) Iganmu Lagos on Friday.

The manifesto is structured around seven pillars: People First Renewal Opportunity Machinery of Government Inclusion Security and Resilience and Every Citizen.

Hamzat promised to publish a performance scorecard to enable residents to assess his administration’s delivery of the pledges insisting that accountability would begin within his first 100 days in office.

‘If one of them is not delivered it will be noted and I must own it’ he said.

Among his first 100 days commitments Hamzat promised to send a bill to the Lagos State House of Assembly for the establishment of a Child Protection and Nutrition Agency to ensure that every child below 18 is either in school or learning a trade and has access to adequate food.

He also pledged to establish a Lagos State Service Delivery Office through an executive order. The office to be chaired by the governor would publish baseline figures against which the administration’s performance would be measured.

The APC candidate further proposed a state wealth fund with an independent board and publicly accessible accounts to preserve resources for future generations.

He promised to introduce service charters across government offices specifying the services residents should expect and the standards public institutions must meet. Under the proposed arrangement complaints would be acknowledged within 48 hours answered within seven days and resolved within 30 days.

‘Accountability will not wait for the end of my term. It begins in my first 100 days’ he said.

On healthcare Hamzat promised to increase the number of maternal and child centres from six to 15 complete ongoing hospital projects and construct two new general hospitals at Ogombo and Ibeju-Lekki.

He also pledged to upgrade 100 primary healthcare centres to flagship status and recruit more doctors nurses and midwives.

Among the projects he highlighted were the 150-bed Massey Children’s Hospital the proposed 280-bed general hospital and the 150-bed Shomolu General Hospital project.

On education he promised to strengthen the EkoEXCEL programme in public primary schools improve teaching and learning outcomes and expand technical and vocational training opportunities.

He also proposed the establishment of a University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Lagos and pledged to review teachers’ compensation packages.

‘We will review your compensation package so that your pay matches the work we demand from you’ he said.

On employment and economic opportunities Hamzat said businesses would play a major role in creating jobs and that government must remove obstacles to their growth.

He proposed a single schedule of local government charges easier business permits improved access to credit and a defined share of state procurement for qualifying small businesses.

He also promised a vocational placement scheme under which students in technical schools would spend between six and 12 months with employers with the state paying 40 per cent of their stipends.

For artisans he proposed free skills certification at their workplaces and in languages they understand.

Hamzat said the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund had provided more than N15 billion to over 21000 businesses while businesses supported through the scheme had created more than 300000 jobs.

On transportation the APC candidate promised to increase the state’s bus fleet from 1000 to 4000 with a target of transporting one million passengers daily.

He also pledged to expand the rail network extend the Blue Line to Ogbebe-Mindene and connect the Blue and Red lines through an interchange at the National Theatre Station.

He said he would work with the Federal Government to advance the Green Line from Marina towards the Lekki Free Trade Zone.

The candidate projected that the Blue Line would transport 250000 passengers daily when it reaches Trade Fair Station early next year.

On road infrastructure he promised to activate the Fourth Mainland Bridge through partnerships accelerate the coastal road along the Lekki-Epe axis and prioritise inner roads in collaboration with local governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

He also pledged to expand water transportation through an additional 140-kilometre water corridor optimise 15 ferry routes rehabilitate 27 of the state’s 47 ferry terminals and procure 75 electric ferries.

Hamzat said his administration would integrate road rail and water transportation through a unified ticketing and timetable system.

‘Lagos is a water state. The lagoon must therefore be our third highway. One ticket one timetable one integrated service across rail road and water’ he said.

On housing he promised to complete ongoing projects including Egbo Igodo Clusters 2 and 3 Lagos Homes Shongotedo Phase Two Lagos Homes Ipeche Phases Two and Three the Workers’ Village at Ipaja and Beacon Apartments at Ipaja.

He also pledged to expand affordable homeownership through partnerships with private developers with mortgage facilities requiring a 10 per cent initial deposit single-digit interest rates and longer repayment periods.

On security Hamzat promised to strengthen the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency and extend its operations to all wards across the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 LCDAs.

He said his administration would expand street lighting and CCTV surveillance in residential communities establish a state intelligence centre to tackle cybercrime financial crimes and organised criminal activities and improve the welfare of security personnel.

He also pledged to recruit and train more personnel provide better accommodation and review their welfare packages in line with the prevailing cost of living.

To promote accountability he promised to establish an independent body to review complaints against security officers and the agency.

On water supply Hamzat disclosed that a 17-million-gallon water treatment facility was under construction and had been funded. He said its completion would provide clean water to an additional six million residents.

He also promised to rehabilitate 24 micro and mini waterworks repair water mains and expand the public water distribution network.

On waste management the APC candidate set a target of 95 per cent collection coverage through improved community-based collection systems and optimisation of Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators.

He promised to complete the transfer loading stations at Olusosun and Solous III alongside a waste recovery facility and a waste-to-energy plant at Agbowa.

Hamzat also pledged to integrate about 30000 residents engaged in waste collection and sorting into the formal waste management system through training equipment and improved remuneration.

The proposal comes amid persistent waste collection and disposal challenges in parts of Lagos where irregular collection and pressure on existing disposal infrastructure remain concerns for residents.

Speaking at the event Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu urged residents to support the APC candidate describing him as an experienced public administrator who had been involved in the state’s governance and development process for more than two decades.

The governor said his seven years of working closely with Hamzat had demonstrated the deputy governor’s loyalty capacity and commitment to public service.

He recalled that Hamzat had sought the governorship ticket in 2018 but stepped aside following consultations with party leaders and subsequently accepted to serve as his running mate.

Sanwo-Olu said Hamzat had played an active role in policy formulation project implementation and the day-to-day administration of the state.

He cited the COVID-19 response the development of the Blue and Red rail lines and the arrival of the first ship at the Lekki Deep Sea Port among major developments in which the deputy governor had been involved.

The governor said Lagos needed continuity to complete ongoing projects rather than experiment with a new governance structure.

‘This is not the time to experiment with Lagos. This is the time to consolidate. And consolidation is not standing still. Continuity does not mean repeating ourselves. It means finishing what was started fixing what is not working and starting what comes next in that order with a plan’ he said.

Sanwo-Olu added: ‘In seven years there has not been one day not one when I had to wonder whose side my deputy was on.

‘In Lagos there has been one government one direction and one voice. That did not happen by accident. It happened because of who he is.’

He described the proposed transition as an opportunity to sustain the state’s development agenda without a political crisis.

‘Lagos is going to change governors without a quarrel. There is no greater gift a governor can leave his people than a handover that does not break the house’ he said.

The governor urged Hamzat to remain accessible to residents complete ongoing projects and sustain the governance structure that had prepared him for leadership. He also charged the APC deputy governorship candidate Princess Damilola Sonayon-James to build a strong working relationship with Hamzat.

The Lagos APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi described the manifesto as a covenant between the party its candidate and the electorate.

He said successive APC administrations had recorded achievements in infrastructure transportation education healthcare housing technology and economic development but acknowledged the need for continuous innovation and improved service delivery.

Ojelabi expressed confidence in Hamzat’s experience in public service and understanding of the state’s governance structure saying these had prepared him for the responsibilities of the governorship.

He said the manifesto provided an opportunity for residents to examine the candidate’s priorities and the practical steps proposed to achieve them.

‘A credible manifesto must go beyond attractive promises. It must offer realistic solutions measurable objectives and a commitment to accountability and effective implementation’ he said.

Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State Princess Sarah Sosan who spoke on behalf of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) also endorsed Hamzat describing him as a cerebral and experienced candidate capable of sustaining the state’s development trajectory.

She traced Lagos’ development to successive administrations including those of President Bola Tinubu former governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode and the incumbent Sanwo-Olu.

Sosan said the state’s progress was the product of careful planning and purposeful leadership adding that Lagos could not afford to abandon its development model.

‘We have chosen right. Our candidate is cerebral and very committed to delivering the job. He is the best man for the job and every member of the GAC attests to this’ she said.

She urged party members and residents to work together to sustain existing achievements and prepare for future challenges.

Also speaking the Director-General of the PBAT-KOH Campaign Council Musiliu Obanikoro called for inclusiveness in the state’s development process stressing that no resident should be excluded on account of ethnic affiliation.

He said the campaign was presenting not just a candidate but a vision anchored on development integrity inclusiveness and sustained progress.

Obanikoro said the 2027 governorship election should be about ideas and the capacity to deliver rather than personalities.

He acknowledged that challenges remained in infrastructure healthcare economic growth and job creation despite the progress recorded by successive administrations.

He urged APC leaders and members to remain united and intensify mobilisation ahead of the election.