By Lanre Oloyede
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, has joined his voice with the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, to call on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to provide separate voting points that will be easily accessible to Persons With Disabilities, PWDs to exercise their franchise in the polls.
The call was made Friday when a team from IPAC led by the Executive Director PWDs, Mr Abdulkarim Okolo, paid a courtesy visit to the Presidential aide in his office in Abuja.
Speaking, Mr Okoli decried the suffering and agony Persons With Disabilities go through at various polling stations to cast their votes due to their inaccessibility and lack of inclusiveness in design.
“PWDs should have a separate voting point in every polling unit in Nigeria. PWDs shouldn’t be struggling to vote. It’s our rights to vote,” Mr Okolo argued.
The Director PWDs of IPAC which is the umbrella body for registered political parties in Nigeria, equally asked for more elective and appointive positions for PWDs in Nigeria.
“PWDs have capacity to handle and manage Ministerial appointments very well. We shouldn’t be restricted to Special Assistant or Adviser alone. We need more. We can be board chairmen, executive Secretary of other boards other than disability. We want you to convey our message to Mr President to give us more political appointments,” he canvassed.
He explained that the essence of the courtesy visit was to establish a strategic partnership with the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities on issue of disability inclusion and political participation.
Mr Okoli further hinted that the current leadership of IPAC under the able leadership of Alhaji Maman Yusuf Dantalle as National Chairman, in a bid to restructure IPAC to accommodate political inclusion, has created a Directorate of Person With Disabilities, adding that the Council has also issued a directive that each geo-political zone should have a coordinator in IPAC.
Delivering his remark, the SSA to the President, Hon. Abba Isa maintained that every individual deserves the right to have their voice heard and to contribute to the governance of our great nation.
Hon. Abba Isa lamented that in reality, PWDs often face significant barriers that hinder their full participation in political life, stressing that the barriers include lack of funding, physical accessibility issues, societal prejudices, and a lack of representation in elective and appointed positions.
While stressing the need for institutionalization of political participation of PWDs by political parties, the Senior presidential aide hinted that his office is committed to working with IPAC and other stakeholders in formulation of policy that reserves quota for PWDs only in elective positions while political parties will be mandated to make provisions for its implementation.
“The need for political participation of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) is not just a matter of social justice but also a testament of the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to democracy.
“Our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has repeatedly emphasized his commitment to the political inclusion of all Nigerians, especially Persons With Disabilities. His administration recognizes that the strength of our democracy lies in its diversity and inclusivity. We are determined to ensure that PWDs are not only participants in the political process but also leaders and decision-makers.
“Furthermore, President Tinubu’s administration is committed to ensuring that PWDs are given equal opportunities to serve in his government, which was why he created this office and appointed me to create avenues of opportunities for PWDs by laiasing with MDAs, sub-national authorities and relevant stakeholders like the IPAC.
“President Tinubu believes that a government that reflects the diversity of its people is more effective, empathetic, and capable of addressing the needs of all its citizens.
“That is why this meeting is crucial and timely for us to discuss on how to increase the representation of PWDs in elective and appointed positions.We are ready to collaborate with political parties to encourage the nomination and support of PWD candidates. It is essential that political parties adopt inclusive practices and policies that promote the participation of PWDs in all aspects of political life. The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has a pivotal role to play in this regard. Your influence and leadership can drive the change needed to make our political landscape more inclusive,” the presidential aide stated.
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