The Lagos State All Progressive Congress (APC) Deaf Group has declared its readiness to support the second term ambition of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode for 2019 elections, INN reports.
The group said this during a press conference held last Tuesday at the International Press Centre (IPC), Ogba, Lagos.
“The All Progressives Congress (APC) as a political party in Nigeria has been living up to its ‘change’ mantra.”, said the Chairman of the group, Comrade Fatai Onifade
Addressing the press through an interpreter, the group said, “Some people are yet to see or believe that change is here with us.”
They cited past dispensations when political parties in Nigeria excluded people with disabilities in their structure.
“APC is the first political party in Nigeria to accommodate and integrate persons with disabilities as part of its National Executive Council (NEC) and National Working Committee (NWC).” while also allowing them to be part of its national and state secretariat officers,” Onifade stated.
Reeling out their plans for the re-election campaign for Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos, they asked for opportunity to prove that there is ability in disability.
“We are able. Support us and join us as we struggle for the emancipation of our people and to achieve laudable goal of taking the deaf Nigerians and other categories of persons with disabilities to the political Promised Land,” the group pleaded.
On his part, the Secretary of the group, Mr Adewale Adeyanju, tasked Gov. Ambode to help prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the pending Disability Bill into law to address the challenges confronting people with disability.
He also said that the APC at the national and state levels had accommodated and integrated people with disabilities in their structure and organogram, but that they still had a lot of hurdles to cross.
Adeyanju pointed out that the signing of the bill would encourage them as they were also ready to contribute their quota to national development.
“The APC as a party that has interest of persons with disabilities at heart should prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the pending Disability Bill. He should give assent and sign it into Law with optional provision of a commission for Disability Affairs, thereby ending our long wait and suffering in our fatherland,” he said.