Independent National Electoral Commission, national Chairman and former Acting INEC Chairman, Hajia Amina Zakari, has expressed the commission’s commitment to ‘assist’ Person with Disabilities (PWDs) to ensure they are not marginalized from participating in the Edo governorship election scheduled for today, September 28, 2016.
Speaking at pre-election conference organized by the Centre for Citizen with Disabilities (CCD) and Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) with technical support from the National Democratic Institute (NDI),Zakari said the role of the PWDs in the electoral process cannot be over emphasized.
She said INEC has adequately put in place measures to assist
the Physically challenged and disabled to ensure they are not left out in the election.”We have to provide ‘assistance’ to the Persons with Disabilities to improve their participation in Nigeria’s political and electoral process.”
Zakari, noted that the commission is ready and committed to ensure that all including the disabled participate in the process of electing a new governor in the forthcoming Edo Governorship election, stating that the gender policy of INEC is to ensure that persons with disability perform their
constitutional responsibility by voting during elections in the country.
She noted that the Commission as part of its effort to assist the PWDs to vote has organized several workshops, and engaged them with voters education materials provided to aid the PWDs, whom she said are observers at the polls.
On their part, a member of the Persons with Disabilities, Barr. Melody Omosa, who spoke on behalf of the Persons with Disabilities (PWDS), said the Leave No One Behind: Disability vote Count Campaign by the PWDs is aimed at increasing the participation of Persons with Disability in the country’s political and electoral processes by removing the barriers that limit their participation.
He said some of the barriers faced by the PWDs is that they are greatly marginalized from Nigeria’s electoral processes because polling units are not always physically accessible to those that are unable to walk or have impaired walking as well as the placement of ballot boxes on high tables or other inaccessible locations.
“The absence of sign language interpreters in televised voters education and political campaign messages or during election education forums makes it impossible for voters who have hearing impairments to be informed.” He said.
The PWDs harped on the use of sign language interpreters during all civil and voters education messaging on television and improve the distribution and reach of civil and voters education messages to citizens with different forms of disabilities.