The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Wednesday said provisions have been made for People With Disabilities (PWDs) to ensure seamless voting for them in the 2019 elections.
Yakubu made this known at the Town Hall meeting organised by Albino Foundation on mobilisation and sensitisation towards participation in electoral process held in Abuja.
Yakubu was represented by Dr Adekunle Ogunmole, INEC National Commissioner in Charge of Outreach and Partnership Committee.
According to him, the meeting is coming at the time when there are success stories about the need to engage PWDs in various ways.
Yakubu said: “just recently President Muhammadu Buhari assented to the bill on PWDs; before that the Commission discovered that it was impossible for it to ensure all polling units are PWDs compliant.
“In terms of taking opportunity in our interaction with the Council of State, we pressed on the need for Governors to ensure that voting or registration centres are made PWDs friendly.
“Even before the assent, all the governors responded positively to this request and we are just in the process of actualising it, when this bill comes into being.”
He described the relationship between the Commission and the PWDs as cordial and called for further collaboration.
He revealed that the Commission had provided magnifying glasses for Albinos and posters to enable people with hearing impairment understand messages about election at polling units.
He added that the use of braille ballot guide which was test run at the Osun poll would be provided in the forthcoming polls to enhance the participation of PWDs.
In an interview with NAN, Mr Jake Epelle, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Albino Foundation, lauded INEC for ensuring that PWDs participated fully in the forthcoming poll.
“Our aim is to bring PWDs face-to-face with INEC and other international election stakeholders, particularly to launch the disability inclusion project in electioneering.
“It is a project that speaks not only on PWDs, but every strata of the society; we want inclusion in the Legislative arm, Executive arm, judicial arm and even the private sectors,” Epelle said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highpoint of the event was the unveiling of the Disability Inclusion Logo, question and answer session and group photograph. (NAN)