The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has begun targeted sensitisation and mobilisation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) ahead of the 2027 General Election….
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has begun targeted sensitisation and mobilisation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The Commission held a national strategy engagement with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, JONAPWD, and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, OPDs, in Abuja on Wednesday.
The engagement focused on improving voter sensitisation and mobilisation to increase the participation and turnout of PWDs in the 2027 elections.
INEC said data from its ICT Department showed that 137,487 Persons with Disabilities had been captured before the Automated Fingerprint Identification System exercise.
The figure comprises 13,080 visually impaired persons, 9,299 hearing impaired persons, 30,561 persons with albinism, 19,430 persons with physical impairment and 54,941 persons in other categories of disability.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, represented by Acting Chairman and National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, said the figures underscored the need for sustained and targeted engagement with PWDs.
He said the Commission was committed to an electoral process that is “inclusive, accessible, participatory and responsive to the needs of all eligible citizens, including Persons with Disabilities.”
Amupitan said INEC would strengthen its collaboration with JONAPWD, OPDs and other stakeholders to ensure that no eligible voter was left behind in the 2027 elections.
He added that the outcome of the engagement would be replicated at state level through Resident Electoral Commissioners, Electoral Officers and other relevant officials to translate the recommendations into practical interventions at the grassroots.
The Commission said its efforts to improve the participation of PWDs were anchored on Section 54 of the Electoral Act 2026, as amended, the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 and its Framework on Access and Participation of Persons with Disabilities in the Electoral Process.
The Director of INEC’s Gender and Inclusivity Department, Mrs Lakunuya Dorothy Bello, identified access to voter information, voter education, mobilisation and accessibility of electoral facilities as some of the challenges confronting PWD participation.
She urged stakeholders to develop sensitisation strategies that are broad in reach while remaining targeted, accessible and responsive to the needs of different disability groups.
The Executive Director of Inclusive Friends Association, Grace Jerry, called for a mobilisation model that maps PWD networks and identifies priority gaps, while using OPDs and accessible media channels to reach communities.
Jerry also advocated practical voter education in multiple accessible formats, support for registration and referrals, and monitoring of barriers that could be escalated to INEC and JONAPWD before Election Day.
JONAPWD National President, Abdullahi Aliyu Usman, commended INEC for developing a disability inclusion policy with the participation of Persons with Disabilities.
He, however, called for more frequent strategic engagements, saying, “one national strategic engagement will not be enough for persons with disabilities in Nigeria to participate fully in the 2027 General Election.”
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, NCPWD, Ayuba Gufwan Burki, also highlighted mobility challenges, lack of assistive devices and restrictions affecting PWDs during elections.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TAF Africa, Jake Epelle, commended INEC’s priority voting arrangements for PWDs but called for improved accessibility at polling units and stronger grassroots mobilisation through OPD cluster heads across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The engagement ended with the adoption of a communique outlining commitments and action points for stakeholders ahead of the 2027 General Election.
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