The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers State has called on electoral officers to ensure that persons with disabilities (PWDs) can exercise their voting rights without discrimination or unnecessary barriers during the 2027 general elections.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem, made the call at a sensitisation programme on electoral interventions for persons with disabilities, electoral officers and disability desk officers in Port Harcourt on Monday.
Represented by the Administrative Secretary, Dr Angela Ebhodaghe, the REC reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to ensuring that no eligible voter is excluded because of a disability.
He said the commission would promote accessible polling facilities, provide assistive voting materials and establish priority queues to make voting easier for persons with disabilities.
Alalibo urged electoral officers and disability desk officers to ensure that the commission’s inclusion policies were implemented at the grassroots. He also encouraged persons with disabilities to share their experiences and identify challenges that could prevent them from participating fully in elections.
The REC further announced that Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for those who registered between August and December 2025 were ready for collection. He added that eligible voters who registered between 2011 and 2025 but had yet to collect their cards could also do so.
In her remarks, the Rivers State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Edward Banigo, represented by Mrs Amadi Boma, described voting as a fundamental democratic right of persons with disabilities, not a privilege or an act of charity.
She said the agency would continue to promote civic awareness and inclusive citizenship while educating the public about measures designed to make elections more accessible to persons with disabilities.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Collins Atipona, represented by the association’s Public Relations Officer, Brown Benjamin, commended INEC for involving persons with disabilities in electoral planning and training.
He said the initiative reflected growing recognition of their capabilities and could help address their longstanding marginalisation in governance and electoral processes.
