The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced strategic engagement with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and cluster heads to promote the participation of persons with disabilities in the 2027 general elections.
The engagement, focused on sensitisation and mobilisation, aims to ensure that eligible voters with disabilities receive adequate information and are meaningfully involved in all stages of the electoral process.
Representing the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, the Acting Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, said the meeting was timely as preparations for the elections gather momentum. She reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to an inclusive, accessible and participatory electoral process, citing Section 54 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, and the Commission’s Framework on Access and Participation of Persons with Disabilities.
Gumus called for innovative voter education strategies, including disability-specific communication channels, community-based organisations, radio, social media and assistive formats. She also urged JONAPWD and OPDs to mobilise their members with information on voter registration, Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), voting procedures and accessibility measures.
INEC disclosed that its available data, compiled before the introduction of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System, recorded 137,487 persons with disabilities. The 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.
The Acting Chairman said the engagement would help stakeholders identify barriers to participation, share successful strategies and agree on practical actions before, during and after the elections. The Director of Gender and Inclusivity, Mrs Lakunuya Dorothy Bello, highlighted existing accessibility measures, including Braille ballot guides, magnifying glasses, the EC30 PWD form and sign-language interpretation during collation activities.
