By Musa Ogbeha Adamu
Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), a Non Governmental Organisation championing advocacy for a greater access to Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in electoral participation, has expressed its delight over Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) decision to deploy about 35 PWDs as ad-hoc staff in the Saturday, July 16, 2022 Osun state governorship elections.
Making this known in a Press Statement signed by its Executive Director, Grace Jerry, the Association desclared that “consistency is the key to success.”
It said the development was in line with: “ Our mission drive is to promote the full inclusion and participation of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria. We are glad that our consistency in this path is coming with fulfilments.”
Describing how it had faired over the time in its chosen mission, the Association added that: this path requires focus, time, and actions that metamorphose into success. This has been our drive towards propagating inclusive practices in Nigeria.”
It said: “This has been our advocacies to the commission for the continued deployment of assistive materials in elections, priority queues for PWDs, and the inclusion of PWDs during elections as ad hoc staff.
“The action by INEC today is in honor of the commitment made during a panel session with PWDs in Oshogbo during our #ParticipateToday Civic and Political Organizing Lab and a communique signed during our 7th Access Nigeria’s Round table with Stakeholders in Abuja.
“Worthy of note, Voters with visual impairments experienced independent voting when we designed and recommended the maiden braille ballot guide to the Electoral Commission for the blind to vote independently during elections.
It also recalled that: “the commission adopted the assistive material and first piloted it in the same Osun State during the September 2018 governorship elections, and in other off-cycle elections in Nigeria.”
Commending the Commission for seeing merit in its advocacy, it described INEC as an umpire which had “subscribed to an open-door policy, cooperating, and yielding to our calls to prioritize the community of persons with disabilities making the electoral space all-inclusive.
“Indeed, INEC Nigeria is setting the pace closing the gaps, and propelling inclusive practices in Nigeria.
“We reiterate our commitments to continue this advocacy until we achieve an inclusive and independent voting system for Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria.”
