To ensure a process that is inclusive to all, in a Statement on Sunday by the leader of the PWDs in the All Progressive Party, Tolu Bankole.
The APC has advised all Nigerians most especially Persons with Disabilities to go and collect their permanent voter’s card.
According to the statement, in a bid to achieve a drive of equal participation of PWDs in political, educational, economic, and social sectors, he advised PWDs to ensure they collect their PVCs, as this equal participation can only be finalized through the ballot.
He further appealed to the Independent Electoral Commission to ensure that PWDs are treated with utmost care and that necessary amendments be put in place to ensure that they can collect the Voter’s card and vote.
He said, “We call on all Persons With Disabilities who have not collected their PVCs; those who applied for transfer or replacement of cards across the country to go and collect their PVCs at their electoral wards to achieve our drive for political, educational, economic and social inclusion of PWDs through the ballot.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission has devolved PVC collection to the 8,809 Registration Areas/Wards from Friday, January 6 to 15, 2023; to ensure those that are unable to collect their PVCs at the Local Government Offices of the Commission can do so at the Registration Areas/Electoral Wards.
“Let me appeal to the election umpire that the PWDs must be treated with consideration due to our peculiarities during this PVC collection period across the country to minimize the incidences of ill-treatment in previous exercises.”
People with Disabilities need to be involved in the Election process in the country, INEC should make necessary provisions to ensure that they feel comfortable and confident to get able to give their votes come Feb 25th and that they are not stereotyped or made to feel inferior, as they too have the rights just as even another person has to vote.