By John Dike
The Independent National Electoral Commission has assured persons with disabilities in Ondo State of an inclusive electoral process in the 2027 general elections, promising to remove barriers that could prevent them from exercising their voting rights.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Mutiu Agboke, gave the assurance on Wednesday at a sensitisation workshop on disability inclusion held in Akure.
Agboke said the workshop was organised to engage persons with disabilities, understand the challenges they encounter during elections and strengthen collaboration to ensure their active participation in the electoral process.
He stressed that the commission was committed to ensuring that no eligible voter was disenfranchised because of disability, adding that measures were being taken to improve accessibility at polling units and other electoral facilities.
According to him, INEC’s mandate includes ensuring that all eligible individuals and groups have equal access to electoral activities, irrespective of their physical conditions.
“People with disabilities are major members of our voting population, and we must create accessibility for them,” Agboke said.
He assured the disability community that the commission would provide a level playing field, not merely through promises but through practical measures that would be evident on election day.
The REC added that INEC would also make it easier for persons with disabilities to collect their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the election.
He further promised that electoral officials would treat them with respect, while security personnel would be expected to protect them from discrimination, intimidation and harassment.
Agboke said the commission would sustain engagements with disability groups before the elections to strengthen their participation in the democratic process.
Similarly, the Director of Gender and Inclusivity at INEC headquarters, Abuja, Mrs Dorothy Lakunuya Bello, represented by Mojisola Awelewa, said the commission would ensure that persons with disabilities were not disenfranchised in the forthcoming elections.
Bello said INEC had made provision for priority voting for persons with disabilities, older persons, pregnant women and nursing mothers to enable them to vote without unnecessary stress.
She also highlighted three categories of assistive materials provided by the commission to support voters with specific needs.
These include Braille ballot guides for visually impaired voters, magnifying glasses for persons with albinism and pictorial posters to assist voters with hearing impairments.
The materials, she explained, were designed to make voting easier and help eligible voters participate in the electoral process with fewer difficulties.
The Ondo State Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, Mr Abiodun Samuel, commended INEC for promoting inclusive democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Samuel praised the commission for maintaining priority voting arrangements for persons with disabilities and pledged the association’s support for efforts to deepen democratic participation.
“We are happy with the level of preparedness INEC has put in place, especially the instructional materials needed by persons with disabilities to cast their votes during the election,” he said.
He also welcomed the commission’s assurance that persons with disabilities would not be intimidated and that their votes would count.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the commission also engaged electoral officers and disability desk officers in Ondo State as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
