By Modupe Adegboro
The Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission has stepped up moves to ensure disability-inclusive elections as it partners with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities ahead of the October 17 local government polls in the state.
The commission, in collaboration with JONAPWD, held a sensitisation workshop in Lokoja to promote equal access and participation of persons with disabilities in the electoral process.
Declaring the workshop open, Chairman of KOSIEC, Mamman Eri, said the commission was committed to ensuring that no voter was left behind in the democratic process.
Eri said inclusive participation remained a cornerstone of credible elections, assuring stakeholders that KOSIEC was working to dismantle barriers that hinder accessibility at polling units across the state.
He described the workshop as part of broader efforts to ensure that the October 17 elections reflect the voices of all citizens, regardless of physical ability.
In his remarks, National Publicity Secretary of JONAPWD, Solomon Yahaya, commended KOSIEC for mainstreaming disability inclusion from the planning stage of the elections.
Yahaya urged the commission to deploy assistive devices such as Braille ballot guides, magnifying glasses and Form EC30PWD to enable persons with disabilities to participate fully in the exercise.
He also called on PWDs in the state to turn out en masse on election day to vote for candidates of their choice and to go beyond voting to seek elective offices.
“Beyond voting, persons with disabilities must aspire to become candidates themselves in order to represent their communities,” Yahaya said.
Participants expressed optimism that the initiative would deepen awareness and boost active participation of persons with disabilities in the forthcoming polls.
The sensitisation programme brought together representatives of disability groups, civil society organisations and electoral stakeholders, who deliberated on voter education tailored for PWDs and strategies for collaboration.
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