The Albino Foundation (TAF-Africa), has appealed to security agencies to help persons with albinism and other Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) to enjoy their voting priority rights during the forthcoming general elections.
The Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Jake Epelle, made the plea “Inter-Security Agencies Training on Disability inclusive Election Security” organized by TAF Africa and European Union (EU) on Thursday in Abuja.
Epelle also urged security personnel to ensure that PWDs were adequately protected to exercise their franchise during the polls as provided for in the 2022 Electoral Act.
He recalled that during the Ekiti governorship election, some persons with albinism were reportedly scared away by some security personnel.
Epelle said: ” So, they could not exercise their franchise, because they were not aware that persons with albinism were part of the disability community.
“We don’t want that to happen and that is why we decided to bring everybody into this training.
“You are the one that will deploy most of your officers to various polling units. It is important that you know that we the community of PWDs are counting on you for us to get involved in the electoral process and exercise our franchise.
“We will depend on you to protect us, to guide us, and to tell the people in polling units that we have priority voting right.
“In other words, when there are queues, we don’t need to stand in the queues. It is in the Electoral Act. You are empowered by law to carry out this mandate.”
Epelle said that the training was key to election security planning.
In his keynote address, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission had made adequate arrangements for the successful inclusion of PWDs in the elections.
Yakubu, represented by a National Commissioner, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, said according to the National Population Commission (NPC), there were at least 19 million Nigerians living with disabilities, who are major democratic demographers and have strong electoral strength.
Yakubu that INEC understood that PWDs faced several obstacles around key processes within the electoral and political process which tend to subtract their contributions towards the development of the electoral and political landscape.
“To this end, the commission had taken every step and made every arrangement for the successful inclusion of PWDs to ensure an inclusive election.
“To achieve this, the commission launched the INEC Framework on Access and Participation of Persons with Disabilities in the Electoral Process.
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“Beyond that, the 2022 Electoral Act underscores the participation of PWDs in the electoral process.
“Specifically, Section 54 of the Act provides for assistive and inclusive devices, which in a sense, has codified some of the initiatives already undertaken by the commission.”
Yakubu said that with a database of over 85,000 PWDs on INEC’s voters register, it had finalized plans to provide for their specific assistive needs.
These, according to him are the braille ballot guide in 5,958 polling units with visually impaired persons, and magnifying glasses in 16,071 polling units with albinism.
There were also enlarged posters in 5,145 polling units where there were ‘hard of hearing persons’.
He said: “In addition, the commission is reviewing an inclusive PWD-friendly voting cubicle to ensure a more seamless voting experience for the physically challenged.”
Yakubu said, while INEC had put in place these measures for the PWD community, other stakeholders, especially the security, had important contributions to make towards the actualization of true inclusiveness.
He urged security agencies to prioritize the safety and protection of PWDs during elections.
In his remarks, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Usman Baba, assured the PWDs that the personnel of the Police Force would avail PWDs of maximum security to cast their votes in the 2023 general elections.
Baba, represented by the Commissioner of Police in charge of Election Affairs, Basil Idegwu, said that the Police would work with all security agencies to ensure the safety of all Nigerians, irrespective of their statuses.
“In 2021, a PWD desk was established in all Zonal and State Offices across the federation.
“The current security situation in various parts of the country constitutes a security threat to the 2023 general election.
“It requires a robust strategy to deal with, while we work with the PWDs in ensuring that their safety is prioritized,” he said.
In his remarks, the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Audi, said that the corps working, with other stakeholders, would do its best to ensure PWDs cast their votes without hindrance during elections.
Audi, represented by the Assistant Commandant General (ACG) in charge of Training and Manpower Development, David Abi, said that the workshop was apt and timely for THE successful conduct of the polls.
