The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission has charged People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) and other vulnerable persons in Lagos to get involved in the electoral processes so that the democratic space could be further widened.
The Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Olayiwole Onasanya, gave the advice while receiving members of the Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD) during a courtesy visit to the agency’s headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, advocating inclusivity mechanisms for women, youths and other vulnerable population in political party activities.
Onasanya said LASIEC is committed to an actionable framework to ensure all-inclusive participation during Lagos State and national elections, saying “In a democratic society, every citizen, regardless of ability or disability, rich or poor, has the right to elect their leaders because, in the pursuit of a sustainable development, an all-inclusive process is a key factor that should not be left out”.
He disclosed that the Commission has established a distinct unit to carry out recommendations in various reports on how to encourage PLWDs to participate and also make their participation in elections very easy, assuring that LASIEC officials will continue to be trained on how clusters could be assisted and encouraged to exercise their franchise.
The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities’ Programmes Officer, Mr. Peter Ekemini, who presented an election monitoring report of the last Local Council poll to the Commission, said PLWDs experienced systematic exclusion during previous National and State elections in Nigeria.
Ekemini explained that polling materials are often sighted at inaccessible positions where they could not exercise their rights to vote.
His words: “We noticed that polling booths were positioned across gutters. There were no braille versions of electoral materials for blind people. Special priorities were not given to these people, including persons with albinism, who cannot stay in the sun for too long due to health risk”.
The Programme Officer, therefore, appealed to LASIEC to examine the contents of its report for implementation and inclusive electioneering process.