The All Progressives Congress (APC) has included a woman with a disability in the updated list of its 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, bringing the number of persons with disabilities appointed to the council’s dedicated disability directorate to five.
The updated list features Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa as Director, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) Mobilisation; Hon. Durotolu Bankole as Co-Director; Barrister Ayuba Gufwan as Deputy Director; Hon. Lois Auta as Deputy Director (Women); and Hon. Misbahu Lawan Didi as Secretary.
The inclusion of Lois Auta, a wheelchair user and disability inclusion advocate, marks a change from the earlier list released in August, which contained four men and no woman with a disability in the PWD mobilisation structure.
The development follows concerns raised by the Forum of APC Women with Disabilities over what it described as the exclusion and under-representation of women with disabilities in the campaign council. In a petition dated August 22, 2026, the forum called on the party leadership to review the list and provide qualified women with disabilities with opportunities to serve in strategic positions.
Following the petition, members of the forum, including Auta, met with APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, to discuss the concerns and seek greater representation of women with disabilities in the party’s campaign structure.
Auta subsequently described the engagement as a positive experience, saying the group had held a “great and inclusive conversation” with the party chairman.
The updated appointments introduce a female representative into the PWD directorate, addressing one of the key concerns raised by the women’s forum. However, broader questions about the representation of Nigeria’s diverse disability community within the structure have also featured in discussions following the release of the initial list.
The four positions in the earlier list were occupied by Abba Isa, Gufwan, Bankole and Didi. The revised structure now assigns Bankole the position of Co-Director, retains Abba Isa as Director, Gufwan as Deputy Director and Didi as Secretary, while adding Auta as Deputy Director (Women).
The development highlights the importance of representation in political campaign structures, particularly the participation of women with disabilities in decision-making and mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
With the updated list, attention will now turn to how the five appointees work together to engage persons with disabilities across Nigeria and promote their participation in the electoral process.
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