The Independent National Electoral Commission has commenced strategic engagement with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, organisations of persons with disabilities and cluster heads as part of efforts to increase the participation of persons with disabilities in the 2027 general elections.
The engagement, held as preparations for the elections gather momentum, focused on sensitisation and mobilisation of persons with disabilities to ensure that eligible voters are adequately informed and able to participate meaningfully at every stage of the electoral process.
Representing the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, the Acting Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, said the engagement was timely, stressing the need for stronger collaboration with disability organisations ahead of the elections.
Gumus said INEC was committed to building an electoral process that was inclusive, accessible, participatory and responsive to the needs of all eligible citizens.
“The participation of Persons with Disabilities is supported by relevant legal and policy frameworks, including Section 54 of the Electoral Act, 2026, 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.”
She stressed the need for innovative approaches to voter education, particularly communication methods tailored to different categories of disabilities.
“We must explore innovative approaches to voter education, including disability-specific communication channels, community-based organisations, radio, social media and other assistive formats.”
The Commission 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.
Gumus urged JONAPWD and other organisations of persons with disabilities to take ownership of the sensitisation process by reaching members of their respective disability clusters with information on voter registration, Permanent Voter Card collection, voting procedures and accessibility measures.
She said the engagement would also provide an opportunity for stakeholders to identify barriers that could prevent persons with disabilities from participating fully in the electoral process.
According to her, the stakeholders would share successful strategies and agree on practical measures to be implemented before, during and after the 2027 elections.
The Director of Gender and Inclusivity at INEC, Mrs Lakunuya Dorothy Bello, highlighted some of the measures already introduced by the Commission to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities.
These include Braille ballot guides, magnifying glasses, the EC30 PWD form and sign-language interpretation during collation activities.
INEC has previously said its framework on access and participation of persons with disabilities is aimed at reducing barriers faced by PWDs as voters, aspirants, candidates, party officials and electoral personnel.
The Commission also worked with disability-focused organisations ahead of the 2023 general elections to improve its database of persons with disabilities at polling units and provide appropriate assistive voting devices.
The latest engagement is part of INEC’s broader preparations for the 2027 elections, with the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.
The Commission said continued collaboration with disability organisations would be critical to ensuring that eligible voters with disabilities receive timely information and are able to participate in the electoral process.
