2027 polls: Breaking barriers for voters with disabilities

To enhance democratic participation, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and key stakeholders have introduced crucial interventions for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

Supported by Section 54 of the Electoral Act 2026 (as amended) and the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, INEC took action. The commission established the Framework on Access and Participation of PWDs in the Electoral Process.

Ground-level measures also introduced by INEC include priority voting lines, Braille ballot guides for visually impaired voters, magnifying glasses, Form EC30 PWD for tracking disability data, and sign-language interpreters at collation centres.

Civil society organisations such as TAF Africa and the Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) have also actively advocated for ramp-accessible polling stations while leading targeted voter education campaigns.

In spite of persistent structural and mobility challenges, these combined efforts continuously expand democratic access for millions of Nigerian voters.

INEC reaffirmed its commitment to a participatory and accessible electoral system by organising a one-day National Strategy Engagement in Abuja.

The event, coordinated by the Gender and Inclusivity Department, brought together national leaders of PWD groups.

The engagement with executive members of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) focused on developing targeted sensitisation and mobilisation strategies to increase participation and turnout among PWDs during the 2027 general election.

Presenting the objective of the meeting, INEC Deputy Director of Inclusivity, Mrs Habiba Jatto, noted that the success of the 2027 General Election depended on the active turnout and participation of every eligible Nigerian, including PWDs.

Jatto explained that the meeting was convened in line with statutory provisions that collectively guarantee the rights of PWDs to full participation.

She affirmed that by anchoring the engagement within the law and INEC’s framework, inclusive elections are acknowledged not only as a democratic imperative but also as a constitutional and statutory obligation.

Jatto noted that core objectives of the national engagement included strengthening collaboration between INEC, JONAPWD, OPDs, cluster heads, and other stakeholders for effective electoral inclusion.

“The meeting aimed to develop practical strategies for mobilising PWDs to actively turn out, increasing the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and promoting awareness of their constitutional electoral rights.

“Furthermore, stakeholders sought to identify lingering challenges that hinder participation before, during, and after elections, enhance the dissemination of voter education in accessible formats, and gather practical recommendations to improve overall accessibility,” she said.

In his remarks, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, urged PWD organisations to take direct ownership of sensitising their members ahead of the 2027 general election.

Amupitan, represented by National Commissioner Prof. Rhoda Gumus, noted said disability inclusion could not be achieved by INEC alone, stating that it required collective efforts from disability organisations, civil society, and PWDs themselves.

He highlighted that cluster leaders were strategically positioned to communicate essential information on voter awareness, voting procedures, and accessibility measures to ensure no eligible voter was left behind.

The INEC Chairman disclosed that available historical data compiled before the introduction of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) recorded 137,487 registered voters with disabilities.

According to him, this figure comprises 13,080 visually impaired persons, 9,299 hearing impaired persons, 30,561 persons with albinism, 19,430 persons with physical impairments, and 54,941 persons under other disability categories.

Amupitan said that the numbers demonstrated the clear need for sustained, targeted engagement to ensure that PWDs were adequately informed, mobilised, and supported across the country.

He tasked participants with providing practical solutions to address barriers affecting voting, access to information, and political candidacy.

“This engagement therefore provides an important platform for us to strengthen our partnership, exchange experiences, identify existing challenges and agree on practical strategies for increasing voter turnout and meaningful participation of PWDs in the 2027 general election.

“It is also important to emphasis that the outcome of this engagement is not intended to remain at the national level.

“The commission intends to replicate this engagement at the state level, working through the Resident Electoral Commissioners, Electoral Officers and other relevant officials to ensure that the issues and strategies discussed here are translated into practical interventions at the grassroots,” Amupitan said.

On his part, the Director of the Gender and Inclusivity Department, Mrs Lakunuya Bello, described PWDs as an indispensable constituency in Nigeria’s democracy whose choices and participation are essential to electoral credibility.

While highlighting existing assistive tools provided by the commission, Bello acknowledged ongoing challenges regarding access to information and facilities.

She urged stakeholders to adopt innovative, sustainable strategies, including disability-specific communication channels, community-based networks, social media, radio, and assistive formats, to reach PWDs who might be excluded through conventional voter education channels.

On his part, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), Mr Ayuba Burki, highlighted the numerical strength of the PWDs constituency.

Burki said that the estimated 35.5 million PWDs in Nigeria hold the power to determine election outcomes if fully mobilised.

Burki said that out of an estimated national population of 250 million, the over 35 million disabled citizens represented a massive voting block capable of deciding where votes swing.

However, Burki identified movement restrictions on election days and a widespread lack of assistive devices as major barriers keeping PWDs from the ballot box.

He explained that nine out of every ten persons with disabilities require an assistive device to function, yet millions of children, youth, and adults affected by polio or spinal cord injuries remain confined to their homes because they could not afford wheelchairs or mobility aids.

“When vehicular movement is restricted on election days, mobility-impaired individuals who lack aids are completely etched out of the electoral process,” he said.

The Chief Executive Officer of TAF Africa, Mr Jake Epelle, warned that any election excluding PWDs lacks true democratic legitimacy.

While commending INEC for scoring over 96 per cent in implementing priority voting lines at polling units during recent off-cycle elections, Epelle urged the commission to replicate that success by improving physical accessibility and ensuring the early deployment of tools like Braille guides and magnifying glasses.

Epelle stressed that preparing for 2027 required immediate groundwork to bridge policies to polling units so that assistive resources are accurately deployed and utilised on Election Day.

He also called on the National Assembly to ensure adequate budgetary allocations for INEC’s disability inclusion programmes to enable comprehensive voter data mining and grassroots mobilisation across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Epele, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria, also advised INEC to address critical administrative gaps on election days to ensure full inclusion of PWDs and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across Nigeria.

“The problem is not INEC’s willingness; they have the political will and have procured some required inclusive resources.

The primary deficit resides in election-day administration and deployment. Ill-equipped ad-hoc personnel frequently leave critical assistive tools, such as Braille ballot guides, forgotten in storage, thereby stripping visually impaired citizens of an independent vote.

To bridge these operational gaps, Epelle proposed classification of Braille guides, magnifying glasses, and tactile materials as sensitive election supplies to prioritise their timely delivery and accountability.

He also emphasised the need for comprehensive training targeted at ad-hoc staff on how to identify, deploy, and assist voters with assistive tools, and repositioning of ballot boxes and voting cubicles to accessible heights to accommodate wheelchair users and voters with physical mobility challenges without compromising secret balloting.

Epelle also raised concerns regarding voting access for Internally Displaced Persons under current electoral frameworks, urging INEC to clarify rules governing inter-state IDP voting rights.

“Displacement is not disenfranchisement. You cannot displace citizens and restrict their democratic participation due to rigid administrative frameworks.

“With an estimated 35 million persons with disabilities in Nigeria, excluding their voices runs counter to the fundamental principles of a representative democracy,” he said.

He reassured PWDs that TAF Africa was actively collaborating with INEC to streamline the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by creating designated, accessible pickup points tailored to their specific needs.

The National President of JONAPWD, Mr Abdullahi Usman, commended INEC for being a leading government agency that owned a disability inclusion policy directly shaped and owned by PWDs themselves.

Usman, however, emphasised that a single national engagement would not be enough to ensure full participation in 2027, advocating for frequent, decentralized strategic meetings to prepare PWDs adequately for the upcoming general election.

With INEC’s 2027 election preparations underway, observers say there is a strong optimism that the disability community will have a fulfilling experience that inspires them to stay active in future elections.

Source: The Daily Times