INEC Targets 137,487 PWDs For 2027 Polls
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced fresh efforts to mobilise Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) for increased participation in the 2027 General Election, with the Commission putting the number of captured PWD voters at 137,487.
INEC disclosed the figure on Wednesday in Abuja during a National Strategy Engagement with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), cluster heads, development partners and other stakeholders.
The engagement focused on targeted sensitisation and mobilisation of PWDs, with particular emphasis on voter education, Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection, voter turnout and access to electoral facilities.
Representing the INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, the Acting Chairman and National Commissioner, Rhoda Gumus, said the Commission was committed to ensuring that the electoral process was inclusive and accessible to all eligible citizens.
She said the 2027 election provided an opportunity to strengthen collaboration with disability organisations and other stakeholders to ensure that “no eligible voter is left behind.”
According to INEC, the participation of PWDs is anchored on Section 54 of the Electoral Act, 2026 (as amended), the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, and the Commission’s Framework on Access and Participation of Persons with Disabilities in the Electoral Process.
The 137,487 PWDs captured by the Commission before the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) exercise 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.
INEC said the data demonstrated the need for sustained and targeted engagement to ensure that PWDs were adequately informed, mobilised and supported throughout the electoral process.
The Commission said the strategies developed at the national engagement would be replicated across the states through Resident Electoral Commissioners, Electoral Officers and other officials.
The Director of INEC’s Gender and Inclusivity Department, Lakunuya Bello, described PWDs as an important constituency whose participation was essential to an inclusive democratic process. She identified access to voter information, voter education, mobilisation and the accessibility of electoral facilities as some of the challenges requiring urgent attention.
The Executive Director of Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), Grace Jerry, called for a coordinated mobilisation framework that would map PWD networks, identify priority gaps and deliver practical voter education through accessible formats.
She urged stakeholders to take sensitisation campaigns to wards, Local Government Areas, markets, campuses, faith and community spaces, OPD networks and digital platforms.
JONAPWD National President, Abdullahi Usman, commended INEC for its disability inclusion policy but called for more frequent strategic engagements.
“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), Ayuba Burki, identified mobility challenges, inadequate access to assistive devices and restrictions on movement during elections as some of the barriers limiting PWD participation.
He urged stakeholders to intensify mobilisation, noting that effective engagement of PWDs could significantly increase their participation in elections.
Similarly, the Founder and CEO of TAF Africa, Jake Epelle, commended INEC’s efforts on priority voting but called for improved accessibility at polling units and stronger 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 culminated in the adoption of a communique outlining commitments and action points for improving the participation of PWDs ahead of the 2027 General Election.
