The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it has captured 137,487 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in its voter database ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Commission disclosed this on Wednesday at a National Strategy Engagement with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in Abuja.
The engagement, themed sensitisation and mobilisation of PWDs for increased participation in the 2027 polls, brought together leaders of JONAPWD, OPDs, development partners and INEC officials.
Declaring the meeting open, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, represented by the Acting Chairman and National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, said the engagement reflects the Commission’s commitment to an inclusive electoral process where no eligible voter is left behind.
He said participation of PWDs is anchored on Section 54 of the Electoral Act 2026, as amended, the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Prohibition Act 2018, and the INEC Framework on Access and Participation of Persons with Disabilities.
Citing pre-AFIS data from the ICT department, Amupitan said the 137,487 captured include 13,080 visually impaired, 9,299 hearing impaired, 30,561 persons with albinism, 19,430 with physical impairment, and 54,941 in other categories.
He said the figures show the need for sustained engagement to ensure PWDs are informed, mobilised and supported to participate in the electoral process.
He said outcomes of the national engagement would be replicated at state level through Resident Electoral Commissioners and Electoral Officers to translate strategies into grassroots interventions.
He urged JONAPWD and OPDs to take ownership of sensitisation within their clusters, noting that inclusive elections require collective efforts.
In her welcome remarks, Director, Gender and Inclusivity Department, Mrs. Lakunuya Dorothy Bello, described PWDs as a critical constituency whose participation is essential to the credibility of democracy, while identifying challenges around voter information, education and accessibility.
The Deputy Director in charge of Inclusivity, Mrs. Habiba Abdulkareem Jatto, said the objectives of the meeting were to strengthen collaboration, develop practical mobilisation strategies, increase PVC collection and voter turnout among PWDs, and enhance voter education in accessible formats.
Delivering the keynote, Executive Director of Inclusive Friends Association, Grace Jerry, called for mapping PWD networks, using OPD channels and accessible media, delivering voter education in multiple formats, supporting registration and referrals, and monitoring barriers for escalation.
In his goodwill message, National President of JONAPWD, Comrade Abdullahi Aliyu Usman, commended INEC for its disability inclusion policy but said more frequent engagements are needed before 2027.
Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Bar. Ayuba Gufwan Burki, decried barriers of mobility and restricted movement during elections, saying if fully mobilised, PWDs could determine electoral outcomes.
Founder of TAF Africa, Jake Epelle, lauded INEC’s priority voting for PWDs but urged improved accessibility of polling units and deeper grassroots mobilisation through cluster heads.
‘Any election that fails to count the voices of persons with disability is not a democracy, it is an exercise in exclusion,’ he said.
The meeting ended with adoption of a communique presented by the National Secretary of JONAPWD, Mr. Ishaku Adamu.