The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has known as on the Nigeria Police Force and different safety companies to strengthen measures to guard individuals with disabilities from intimidation, violence and different boundaries in the course of the 2027 basic elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, made the decision on Friday at a high-level technical engagement on disability-inclusive election safety and safety protocols in Abuja.
Amupitan stated electoral safety preparations should deal with the particular challenges confronted by individuals with disabilities, together with inaccessible polling items, communication boundaries, harassment and threats of violence.
He stated the credibility of elections depended not solely on the conduct of voting but in addition on whether or not each eligible citizen may train the best to vote freely, safely and with out discrimination.
“The credibility of our elections depends not only on the voting process but also on the ability of every eligible citizen to participate freely, safely and without discrimination,” he stated.
The INEC chairman careworn the necessity to shield individuals with disabilities in opposition to intimidation, harassment and insecurity that might stop them from exercising their voting rights.
He cited the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the Electoral Act 2026 and the Discrimination DisabilitiesminaProhibit framework) 018Prohibitframework018 as authorized frameworks supporting inclusive electoral participation.
He additionally referenced Nigeria’s obligations below the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and INEC’s 2026 Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, which offer for precedence entry, help and applicable voting supplies for individuals with disabilities.
Amupitan urged safety personnel to keep up professionalism and impartiality whereas guaranteeing that help supplied to voters with disabilities didn’t compromise their dignity, privateness, independence or freedom of selection.
He known as for disability-related issues to be included into safety assessments, personnel coaching, deployment plans and emergency-response procedures forward of the elections.
According to him, preparations ought to embrace figuring out polling items which might be tough to entry, places liable to congestion, potential safety flashpoints and communication boundaries that might stop eligible voters from casting their ballots.
The INEC chairman additionally advocated stronger cooperation among the many fee, the police and different safety companies by means of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
He stated improved coordination would facilitate well timed information-sharing, make clear the obligations of taking part companies and guarantee immediate responses to rising safety threats.
Amupitan recognized clear disability-inclusive safety protocols, specialised coaching for law enforcement officials, accessible incident-reporting channels and sustained engagement with organisations of individuals with disabilities as mandatory measures forward of the 2027 basic elections.
The engagement, held on the Abujal, introduced collectively safety companies, the European Union, TAF Africa, organisations of individuals with disabilities and different stakeholders to develop methods for safer and extra accessible elections.
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