NGO deploys 200 persons with disability as observers in Anambra’s governorship election
Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), an NGO, has deployed 200 observers with disabilities for the Nov. 6 governorship election in Anambra.
Mr Jerry Grace, its Country Executive Director, made the declaration in Awka on Friday at a news conference.
The news conference was organised by the United States Agency for International Development, Access Nigeria, IFA and the National Democratic Institute, NDI.
Grace said that the news conference was organised to talk about polling unit accessibility audit for the election.
He said the conference also aimed at discussing the importance of persons with disabilities to the electoral process and to engage INEC to sustain organised voting during the election.
Miss Chidimma Ajemba, representative of another NGO, the Joint Association of Persons Living with Disabilities, Anambra chapter, called for special attention to be given to persons with disabilities to take part in the electoral process.
Ajemba said that such special attention would reduce physical, attitudinal and institutional barriers that made it difficult for persons with disabilities to freely participate in the electoral process.
In his remarks, Mr Francis Madugu, Deputy Country Director of NDI, charged INEC to ensure that Persons Living with Disabilities were provided a friendly election environment, including written instructions on voting materials.
Madugu said such step would encourage more persons living with disabilities to be more politically active and be able to have a voice in leadership election process in the state.
He said that people with disability were interested in who becomes their governor, as such would like to vote for their choice after reading the political manifestos of the candidates.
Madugu commended the Anambra government under Gov. Willie Obiano for its friendly policies toward persons with disability and expressed the hope that the succeeding administration would do more. (NAN)
