More than one thousand persons with disabilities (PWDs) are poised to participate in the upcoming November 8 governorship election in Anambra State.
This statement was revealed by the state’s chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD).
The Chairman, Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke, disclosed during the association’s recent quarterly meeting held in Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area.
Okeke stated that members across the state have been comprehensively sensitised and trained to not only cast their votes correctly but also to participate actively in the entire electoral process.
“We have done a lot of sensitisation and educated our members on the proper way to vote to avoid invalid votes,” Okeke said.
“With the population we have in Anambra, we expect over one thousand persons with disabilities to vote. They all have their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and understand how to cast their votes properly.”
The JONAPWD Chairman commended the State Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Queen Elizabeth Agwu, for adopting inclusive measures to ensure the full participation of PWDs.
He noted that INEC had involved persons with disabilities at various stages, including voter registration, training, and voter education.
He highlighted the provision of assistive devices such as Braille ballot guides for the visually impaired, binocular lenses for persons with albinism, and pictorial posters for the deaf.
“Under the leadership of REC Agwu, our collaboration has greatly improved,” Okeke said. “For the forthcoming election, they started early, involving us right from the voter registration phase and inviting us to various trainings.”
He revealed that during a recent INEC workshop, members were introduced to the assistive devices. “Our visually impaired members touched Braille ballot papers for the first time and were taught how to use them,” he added.
Despite the progress, Okeke expressed concern that members who use crutches or wheelchairs might face challenges accessing polling units due to the restriction of vehicular movement on election day.
He appealed to the relevant authorities to grant special mobility passes or make arrangements to enable PWDs to reach their polling units easily.
In separate remarks, JONAPWD officials, including the Publicity Secretary, Chidimma Ajemba, and the Woman Leader, Nwanokwara Ncheta, cautioned members against spreading fake news and misinformation, warning that such acts could endanger the safety of PWDs during elections.
They also urged members to shun vote-buying and instead demonstrate integrity by turning out en masse to vote for their preferred candidates.