WorldStage— The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has commenced a fresh mobilisation strategy aimed at increasing the participation and voter turnout of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the 2027 General Election, with 137,487 PWDs already captured in its voter-related database.
The Commission disclosed the figure on Wednesday in Abuja at a National Strategy Engagement with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), focused on targeted sensitisation and mobilisation ahead of the 2027 polls.
The engagement brought together JONAPWD executives, OPD representatives, cluster heads, development partners and INEC officials to develop practical strategies for improving voter education, Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection and electoral participation among PWDs.
Declaring the engagement open on behalf of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, Acting Chairman and National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, said the Commission was committed to ensuring that no eligible voter was excluded from the electoral process because of disability.
She said the participation of PWDs was anchored on Section 54 of the Electoral Act, 2026 (as amended), the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, and INEC’s Framework on Access and Participation of Persons with Disabilities in the Electoral Process.
According to data from INEC’s ICT Department obtained before the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) exercise, the 137,487 PWDs captured comprise 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 disability categories.
The Commission said the figures underscored the need for sustained and targeted engagement to ensure that PWDs are adequately informed, mobilised and supported throughout the electoral process.
Gumus said the outcome of the national engagement would be cascaded to the states through Resident Electoral Commissioners, Electoral Officers and other relevant officials, with the objective of translating the strategies into practical interventions at the grassroots.
She also urged JONAPWD and OPDs to take ownership of sensitisation within their respective clusters, stressing that inclusive elections could not be achieved by INEC alone.
“The success of our collective efforts will depend on our ability to translate these discussions into concrete actions that can be implemented both at the national and state levels,” she said.
The Director, Gender and Inclusivity Department, Mrs. Lakunuya Dorothy Bello, said PWDs remained an important constituency whose participation was critical to the credibility and inclusiveness of Nigeria’s democracy.
She identified access to voter information, voter education, mobilisation and the accessibility of electoral facilities as some of the persistent challenges confronting PWDs.
Bello therefore called for sensitisation strategies that would be broad in reach while remaining targeted, accessible and responsive to the needs of different disability groups.
The Deputy Director in charge of Inclusivity, Mrs. Habiba Abdulkareem Jatto, said the engagement was designed to strengthen collaboration among INEC, JONAPWD, OPDs and cluster heads, develop practical mobilisation strategies, increase PVC collection and voter turnout among PWDs, and improve the dissemination of voter education in accessible formats.
Delivering the keynote address, Executive Director of Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), Grace Jerry, called for a grassroots mobilisation model built around mapping PWD networks and priority gaps, reaching communities through OPDs and accessible media platforms, and providing voter education in multiple accessible formats.
Jerry also advocated stronger registration support, systematic documentation of barriers encountered by PWDs and continuous engagement from the pre-election period through Election Day.
She urged INEC, JONAPWD, OPDs, political parties and development partners to identify and remove participation barriers across wards, Local Government Areas, markets, campuses, faith-based and community spaces, as well as digital platforms.
The National President of JONAPWD, Comrade Abdullahi Aliyu Usman, commended INEC for developing a disability-inclusion policy shaped by Persons with Disabilities, but called for more frequent strategic engagements ahead of the election.
“One national strategic engagement will not be enough for persons with disabilities in Nigeria to participate fully in the 2027 General Election,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), Bar. Ayuba Gufwan Burki, identified mobility challenges, inadequate access to assistive devices and restrictions affecting movement during elections as continuing barriers to participation.
He said greater mobilisation of PWDs could have a significant impact on electoral participation.
“If we are fully engaged, if we can mobilise 35 million people to an election, then we will determine where the votes will swing,” he said.
Similarly, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TAF Africa, Jake Epelle, commended INEC’s priority voting arrangements for PWDs but called for improved accessibility of polling units and deeper grassroots mobilisation through OPD cluster heads across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“Any election that fails to count the voices of persons with disability is not a democracy, it is an exercise in exclusion,” Epelle said.
The engagement ended with the adoption of a communique outlining commitments and action points agreed by stakeholders ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The communique was formally read and adopted by the National Secretary of JONAPWD, Mr. Ishaku Adamu, marking the commencement of the next phase of coordinated sensitisation and mobilisation of PWDs across the country.
