Ambassador Jake Epelle, the Founder/ CEO of Albino Foundation, has warned candidates and political parties in the 2023 elections not to take the votes of the 16 million PWDs community for granted, stating that the disability community has the numbers to change the outcome of the coming general election.
He has there urged the parties and their candidates to run a PWD-inclusive campaign and lend support to efforts of Civil Society Organizations working to ensure an inclusive election and society.
While commending the efforts by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) in ensuring that disability issues are mainstreamed into electoral throughout the electoral phases, he urged political parties, as gatekeepers to political decision-making, to support disability inclusion in politics.
“To become more competitive, it is important for parties to adopt practices that increase the inclusivity of underrepresented communities. These actions will help build and maintain a broader base of constituent support and earn citizens’ trust”, Epelle added that electoral umpire has “taken steps to remove barriers that restrict full participation of PWDs as voters and several measures have been put in place to ensure that persons with disabilities are included in the country’s electoral processes.”
Before public political campaigns started, the Albino Foundation demanded the following in the interest of inclusivity:
Involvement of PWDs in campaign committee set up.
Campaign materials should be produced in accessible formats to reach different clusters of PWDs; the visually impaired and persons with albinism.
As enshrined in the 2018 Disability Act, political parties must ensure that locations and settings for meetings and campaign activities are accessible to all PWDs, including party offices.
Provision of sign language interpreters for the hearing-impaired community.
Provision of adequate security network for persons with disabilities during campaign activities.
Strengthened internal democracy, whereby political parties allow PWD members to fully participate in the activities, including running for elective positions.
Political parties should subsidize election costs for Persons with Disabilities, taking into account the socio-economic inequalities.