137,487 PWDs Captured As INEC Steps Up 2027 Election Mobilisation

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that 137,487 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) have been captured in its voter data, as the Commission moves to strengthen the participation of the disability community in the 2027 general elections.

The figure was revealed in Abuja on Wednesday during a national strategy engagement between INEC, the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), with stakeholders focusing on targeted voter sensitisation and mobilisation ahead of the elections.

The data, obtained from INEC’s ICT Department before the Automated Fingerprint Identification System exercise, shows significant variations across disability categories.

Persons with albinism account for 30,561 of those captured, while 19,430 persons with physical impairment have been recorded. The Commission also captured 13,080 visually impaired persons and 9,299 hearing impaired persons, while 54,941 are classified under other categories of disability.

The figures formed the backdrop to the engagement, as INEC acknowledged the need for sustained and targeted mobilisation to ensure that eligible PWDs are not left behind at different stages of the electoral process.

Speaking through the Acting Chairman and National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, said the Commission’s engagement with disability organisations was aimed at translating inclusion policies into practical interventions.

Amupitan said the participation of PWDs was anchored on Section 54 of the Electoral Act 2026, as amended, the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 and INEC’s Framework on Access and Participation of Persons with Disabilities in the Electoral Process.

He said the national strategy would be replicated at the state and grassroots levels through Resident Electoral Commissioners, Electoral Officers and other officials.

The Commission’s Director of Gender and Inclusivity, Mrs. Lakunuya Dorothy Bello, said the data and experience of PWDs showed that challenges remained around access to voter information, voter education, mobilisation and electoral facilities.

She called for sensitisation programmes that would be broad enough to reach large numbers while being tailored to the different needs of disability groups.

The Executive Director of Inclusive Friends Association, Grace Jerry, advocated a mobilisation strategy based on mapping PWD networks and identifying gaps in voter participation.

She said OPDs and accessible media platforms should be used to deliver practical voter education, while barriers encountered by PWDs should be documented and escalated to INEC and JONAPWD for action.

JONAPWD National President, Comrade Abdullahi Aliyu Usman, urged INEC to make the strategic engagement a more regular exercise, stressing that a single national meeting would not be enough to achieve full participation of PWDs in the 2027 elections.

The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Bar. Ayuba Gufwan Burki, identified mobility challenges, access to assistive devices and restrictions on movement as continuing barriers to electoral participation.

Also, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TAF Africa, Jake Epelle, called for improved accessibility at polling units and stronger grassroots mobilisation through OPD cluster heads across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The engagement concluded with the adoption of a communique outlining commitments and action points for improving the participation of PWDs before and during the 2027 general elections.