By Victor Ayeni
The Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Political Intelligence, Abiodun Abu, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to provide Braille ballot papers, interpreters and other measures to assist People With Disabilities to cast their votes during the 2023 general elections.
The governor’s aide and persons with disability groups under the aegis of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Disability Movement stated this on Thursday during a press briefing in Ikeja.
He said, “There is a need for the electoral umpire to do more for PWD to motivate and reduce their burden while participating in the electoral process.
“Giving PWDs preferential treatment including the provision of braille ballot paper, a special paper for virtually impaired people, to assist in identifying their preferred party and logo during poll must be encouraged and strengthened by INEC. Interpreters should also be provided for these special people at all polling units to understand and participate actively in the electoral processes.”
The National Coordinator, ABATDM, Fatai Onifade, said he had informed the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner on the provisions required for PWDs in the state to make the voting exercise easy for them.
“We hope that INEC will yield because the support that we have often received from Tinubu during and after his tenure in Lagos State formed reasons PWDs have turned down all requests from other political parties,” he said.