Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to give special consideration to its members during the collection of the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC).
Citing the National Disability Act and INEC Framework on PWDs, the Executive Director of the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Mr David Anyaele, urged INEC to ensure equal voting access to PWDs and security agencies to ensure they provided security during the 2023 elections so that the PWDs and every registered voter can participate freely in the electoral process.
He said, “We are calling on INEC to improve on the success recorded in Osun State to ensure equal voting access for persons with disabilities.
“People with disabilities should be encouraged to go for early collection of their PVC, even as we request priority consideration in line with the provisions of the National Disability Act and INEC Framework on PWDs.
“We are also calling on the security agencies to push back this ugly scenario as the 2023 general elections provide an important opportunity for each and every registered voter to decide his or her future. No one should be left behind in the electoral process by reason of insecurity.”
Speaking at the weekend in Uyo in commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022, Anyaele, who commended INEC for implementing the framework on access and of PWDs in the electoral process, however, regretted that less than 83 days to the elections political parties and their candidates had failed to include issues that were critical to the disability community in their manifestos.
