By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has pledged its commitment to providing strong support to Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) ahead of the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
This commitment was given by Professor Kunle Ajayi, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Outreach and Partnership Committee (OPC), at the opening of a training for INEC Disability Desk Officers on Monday in Lagos.
The five day training codenamed BRIDGE: is a Modular Training on Access and Participation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the Electoral Process for INEC Disability Desk Officers.
It is organised for the desk officers in the commission from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT in partnership with the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES).
Ajayi said: “The non-negotiable minimum of a credible, and democratic electioneering process is its inclusivity- ability of all stakeholders to access, and participate in the electoral space on the basis of equality.
“Section 54 (2) of the Electoral Act 2022, and other legal instruments empower the commission to take reasonable steps to ensure that PWDs, special needs, and vulnerable persons are given support at the polling place by the provision of assistive devices.
“The commission also has, as one of its core values, the creation of a level playing field for all stakeholders to participate in, especially the marginalised groups, including the PWDs.”
According to him, the training was part of the commission’s Strategic Plan of Action (SPA) designed to sharpen, and enrich the working knowledge of INEC’s new desk officers.
He said that the training was meant to refresh the memories of other officers with long experience at the disability desk of their responsibilities as frontline implementers of the commission’s PWDs policies.
Ajayi urged the staff to appreciate various innovations and the changing dynamics on PWD electoral issues.
He said that the commission was counting on their expertise as foot soldiers on PWDs responsive policies for effective coordination, and implementation of INEC disability focal programmes.
Reiterating the unwavering commitment of the commission to PWDs’ sensitive actions, Ajayi said INEC had a Framework on Access and Participation of PWDs in the Electoral Process and had almost completed work on Disability Inclusive Guide.
“This is a tool for reference in mainstreaming disability issues in the electoral process, which will further firm up the commission’s resolve on electoral inclusivity to serve PWDs community better,” the INEC boss said.
In his opening remarks, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos State, said that the training sought to raise the level of staff professionalism in election administration.
Agbaje described the training as another demonstration of INEC’s resolve not to leave any stone unturned in achieving the conduct of flawless elections.
“In the bid to ensure that no segment of the society is excluded from the electoral process, the Independent National Electoral Commission consistently pursues the principle of inclusiveness with uncanny vigour,” Agbaje said.
He said that INEC had put some measures in place to make the electoral process friendlier to the PWDs.
The measures, he said include the creation of regular interactive platforms, provision of Braille ballots, magnifying glasses, sign language interpreters, redesigning of voter registration centres, and Polling Units (PUs) for easy access to PWDs.
Speaking, Mr Hamza Fassi-Fihri, the ECES Country Representative, said that the training was organised within the European Union-funded Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria programme (EU-SDGN).
Fassi-Fihri said that it was to familiarise INEC officials with the International, regional, and national PWD inclusion policies as well as INEC Special Voting Rights tools.
He said that the training was to equip them with strategies that would ensure the safety of these special groups of persons before, during, and after elections as well as ensure increased inclusion, and participation of PWDs in the electoral processes.
