The Albino Foundation Public Notice
A civil society organisation, Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), has called for more inclusion of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the nation’s political process.
The group, which advocates good governance, democracy and inclusion of PWDs, made the call on Tuesday, at a meeting with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), an umbrella body of all registered political parties in Nigeria, in Abuja.
IFA, in its observation during the meeting, argued that PWDs have not been given appropriate consideration in party leadership beyond election seasons.
The 2022 signed Electoral Act mandates the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take reasonable steps to ensure that PWDs are provided with suitable means of communication during elections.
However, the Director of IFA, Jerry Grace, represented by Steven Idoko, said the political parties need to be deliberate on their concerns for the PWDs.
“Political parties must be deliberate about the production of their campaign materials to ensure they are in accessible formats to reach different clusters of PWDs.
“They must ensure that venues for meetings and campaign activities are accessible to all PWDs as enshrined in the Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities Prohibition Act, 2018,” Mr Idoko said.
The group expressed joy on the success of two PWDs as state legislators in Adamawa and Zamfara States, just as it noted the prospects of many more that have shown interest in the 2023 general elections.
IPAC Chairman, Yagagi Sani, in his address, said the umbrella body is already working on some of the concerns raised by the IFA.
“We will reiterate some of the issues you listed here but we know that most of them are being taken care of but we will emphasize so that people will know.
“Two of the things you want us to take note of include the structure and accessibilities to party offices. I know that they are issues not only taken care of by not only political parties but INEC is also that PWDs have access to voting facilities.
“Like I said earlier, we will also reiterate some of these issues and we know that parties are also implementing this,” Mr Sani said.
Other members of the IPAC executives at the meeting were its Deputy National Chairman, Mgbudem Maxwell from Accord Party (AP), National Secretary, Yusuf Dantalle of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), National Treasurer, Obidike Okolo, from the National Rescue Movement (NRM).
The spokesperson of the council, Agbo Major of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the National Organising Secretary, Egbeola Martins of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), were also in attendance.
