Persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Oyo State have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure accessible polling units and fair recruitment of qualified PWDs as election personnel ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
The appeal was made by the Oyo State Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Mr. Abiodun Kolawole, during a training workshop on inclusive electoral participation organised by INEC at the State Collation Centre in Ibadan.
Kolawole commended the commission for organising the training but stressed the need for stronger collaboration with the disability community to address barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from participating fully in elections. He urged INEC to give qualified PWDs fair consideration for election observer and ad hoc staff positions in line with its recruitment guidelines.
Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo State, Adeniran Tella, represented by Mrs. Agnes Oluwatomisin, reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to promoting inclusive electoral participation. He said the commission would provide assistive materials, including magnifying glasses, Braille ballot guides and written instruction posters for voters with hearing impairments.
Tella noted that electoral inclusion extended beyond voter registration and voting to encompass accessible electoral information, polling facilities and opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate as candidates and election personnel. He identified inaccessible polling units, communication barriers, transportation difficulties and negative societal attitudes as challenges requiring collective action.
The Deputy Director of INEC’s Gender and Inclusivity Department, Mrs. Habiba Jatto, said the workshop was designed to strengthen stakeholders’ understanding of disability inclusion, improve accessible voter education and enhance collaboration with organisations of persons with disabilities.
She emphasised that providing assistive materials must be accompanied by proper deployment, monitoring and public awareness to ensure that intended beneficiaries could use them effectively.
Also speaking, the Head of the Civic Values and Democratic Department of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs. Simbiat Akande, called for sustained public education and accessible electoral facilities to protect the rights of persons with disabilities and promote their full participation as voters and candidates.
The workshop forms part of INEC’s efforts to identify and address gaps in electoral accessibility ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
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