By Dada Ahmed
A member of the People With Disabilities (PwDs) in kogi state, Mr Aduku Emmanuel, has appealed to Governor Yahaha Bello to cause the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress( APC), Alhaji Muhammed Bello, to issue him his personal particularly form(PPF) following his victory at APC primaries.
He made the appeal on Tuesday in an interview in Lokoja.
Emmanuel, who Governor Bello gave automatic nomination to contest APC primaries about a month ago in Ankpa 1 Constituency of Ankpa Local Governnent Area of the state,scored 20 votes.
He defeated Lawal Akus, who scored two votes while John Aduga stepped down for him on the basis of Emmanuel’s disability.
The PwD member, who said that he smelt rat expressed concern over the delay by the party to issue him the form to enable him step up preparation for the state House of Assembly electíon scheduled for March.
According to him, some politicians in his Constituency were not happy over his victory at the primaries, citing his disability for their bias against him.
“Their grudge against me has to do with my disability, believing, erroneously that being a member of PwDs, I will not be able to perform like the abled-bodied persons, if I win the State House of Assembly electíon next year.
“However, unknown to them, I have the ability in disability that will make me perform even better than some abled-bodied counterparts that I will meet in the Assembly, if I win my election.
“I see what is happening to me as a political discrimination against me because of my disability.
“This is against the vision of our dynamic governor, who gave me automatic nomination to contest primaries.
He is a lover of PwDs and has made inclusion of PwDs in his administration as a priority to instil sense of belonging among PwDs in the state.”
Emmanuel,who is 31 years, promised to legislate laws for the welfare of PwDs, especially the need to make construction of public structures friendly for them.
“Many of us cannot go to some public structures such as schools, banks among others with ease to carry out our activities.
“If I win my election, I will participate actively in legislative activities to make life worthy for my colleagues in PwD,” he pledged.
He called on other PwDs,who have interest in politics, not to be deterred by the discrimination against them by the society but go ahead to achieve such ambition.
He addrd that political space is meant for everybody, irrespective of physical condition, to prove his or her mettle.