THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has assured Persons Living With Disabilities, PLWD, of uninhibited participation in the voting process during elections.
INEC gave the assurance at a programme in Abuja, yesterday, tagged “Release of Research Findings in the Mapping the Needs of Persons with Disabilities for 2019 General Elections”, organized by the European Union, EU, INEC, Cleen Foundation and Centre for Citizens with Disabilities. Speaking at the presentation, Deputy Director, Civil Society Organisations Division of Voter Education Department, INEC, Mrs. Lakumia Bello, said the Commission had made necessary provisions that would aid the PLWD in the voting process.
She said the findings would assist INEC in their duties. Her words: “This report is very useful. It is going to assist the commission in including persons with disability participation in the electoral process generally, because there are data that have been analysed from the report and looking at it, it will help the commission meet the needs of Persons with Disability to participate in the election. “Persons with disabilities stand a chance to vote because the Commission has been working assiduously to see that Persons with disabilities will participate in the elections. Over the years, we have been working on a framework which was presented to the public. We have been working on the objective of the framework which is to improve in the participation of persons with disabilities in the electoral process. “We have been working with the umbrella body of persons with disabilities, such as Centre for Persons with disabilities, identifying challenges they are having in the electoral process, presenting their report. “We have been working together to see that challenges identified, especially the lack of data and it one of the ways that persons with disability participation will be improved.”
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