By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
The Kogi APC Disability Campaign Network (KAD-CAN-WIN for Tinubu/Ododo 2027), a coalition of politicians with disabilities in Kogi State, has inaugurated its campaign structure ahead of the 2027 general elections, pledging to mobilise more than 100,000 votes for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
The inauguration, held in Lokoja on Wednesday, brought together leaders and stakeholders from the disability community, who described the network as a platform to strengthen the political participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) while consolidating support for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking at the event, Director-General of the network, Hon. Yakubu Abdulhakeem Nazir, said the disability community had moved beyond seeking political inclusion to actively participating in leadership and governance.
He said the decision to support Tinubu and Ododo was informed by what he described as the positive impact of their administrations on the lives of persons with disabilities through disability-inclusive policies and governance.
According to Nazir, the disability community constitutes a formidable political bloc with significant electoral value, adding that members, alongside their families, friends and supporters, would work across the state’s 21 local government areas to deliver victory for the APC.
“As we formally inaugurate the Kogi APC Disability Campaign Network, I call upon every executive member, every stakeholder and every member of this network to understand the enormous responsibility that lies before us. This network must not exist merely in name; it must become an active and effective political structure,” he said.
He urged members to take the message of inclusion, unity, progress and responsible political participation to every ward, local government area and senatorial district by mobilising, educating and encouraging voters to support APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
Nazir also appealed to the APC leadership in Kogi State to ensure that persons with disabilities are fully involved in campaign activities and decision-making processes at all levels.
“We should be engaged, listened to, consulted and given a seat at the table. Our community has capable men and women who can contribute meaningfully to the success of the party,” he stated.
Defending the group’s endorsement of the APC, Nazir cited the enactment of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration as a landmark achievement for disability rights in Nigeria.
He also credited the administration of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello for advancing disability inclusion through steps that led to the establishment of the Kogi State Office for Disability Affairs, describing it as a significant institutional platform for promoting the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities.
While commending successive APC administrations in the state for expanding political opportunities for the disability community, Nazir said persons with disabilities had received greater recognition in governance and political participation over the past decade.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo on Disability Matters, Hon. Mukaila Sheidu, disclosed that the Kogi State Government is compiling a comprehensive database of persons with disabilities across the state’s 21 local government areas.
He said the exercise would improve government intervention programmes, facilitate effective planning and enhance the socio-economic wellbeing of persons with disabilities in the state.
Secretary of the campaign network, Ibrahim Daniel Arome, expressed confidence that the disability community would deliver more than 100,000 votes for President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The inauguration featured the presentation of appointment letters to members of the campaign network, alongside goodwill messages from patrons and leaders of the disability community, including prominent disability rights advocates and politicians Joash Femi Onimayin and Solomon Yahaya, who described the initiative as a significant step towards strengthening the political voice of persons with disabilities in Kogi State.
Join Inclusive News Network WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.