The exclusion of people living with disabilities from taking leadership responsibilities in the political landscape has been a global concern which extends to Nigeria. While the United Nations emphasizes the equal rights of PWDs to participate in democratic governance, reports have shown that they are most times not able to exercise their rights to vote and to be voted for. Ahead of the November 16, 2024 off-cycle governorship election that is set to be held in Ondo State, the CDD War Room explores the issues surrounding the participation of PWDs in the State’s electoral process. This piece will also interrogate any possible roles being played by mis/disinformation in shaping the participation of PWDs in key processes.
A look at a research study on the political participation and representation of physically challenged persons in Ondo politics between 1999 and 2018, revealed the absence of PWDs from elective or appointive positions in the state within this period. The study, published in 2023, puts the population of PWDs in Ondo state at around 59,941, representing about 1.8% of the total population of the state, according to the 2006 national population census.
None of the PWDs was among the total 130 members elected into the Ondo State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2018. This is the same for other political appointments according to the report. While the exclusion of PWDs by political parties was noted as part of the fundamental reasons for their non-participation and representation, findings from the study showed that the democratic practice in Ondo state was not enabling the effective participation of PWDs in the governance of the state.
In recent times, the campaign for the inclusion of PWDs in democratic governance has intensified, which has necessitated inclusive electoral reforms in the Nigerian polity. For instance, Section 54 of the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended), mandates that reasonable measures are put in place to ensure that PWDs can exercise their franchise. The provision states that voters with visual impairment and other forms of disability should be assisted at the polling unit by a person chosen by him/her which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) shall ensure that they are assisted and provided with effective means of communication such as large embossed print, electronic devices, braille, sign language interpretation, or off-site voting as the case may be.
In February 2023, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) chairman lauded Clause 54 of the Electoral Act 2022, describing the development as “a watershed in the nation’s history of democracy.”
During Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), a PWDs and woman-led non-profit organisation, through its Vote-Ability campaign, deployed 250 PWDs election observers across 21 states, including Ondo state, to measure the extent of the Electoral Commission’s compliance with Section 54 of the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended), and Section 30 of the Discrimination Against PWDs (Prohibition). The observation exercise, which cut across the six geopolitical zones of the federation, was to assess the accessibility of polling units to PWDs, deployment and usage of PWD assistive materials, and the internal layout of polling units, among others. According to IFA, the polling unit accessibility audit was the largest ever conducted by a PWD observer in the nation’s electoral history.
In its report on the 2023 general elections entitled “Electoral Inclusions in Nigeria: The Journey So Far”, IFA disclosed that despite INEC’s great strides as to the disaggregated data on PWDs, inaccessibility to the electoral process remained a militating factor affecting the full participation of PWDs in elections. This is as findings showed that 71% of PUs observed had no ramp or handrails, 22% of PUs were stationed around corridors and steps, 12% of PUs had uneven surfaces and sand piles while 60% and 76% of the PUs had no braille ballot guides for voters with blindness and magnifying glasses for voters with low vision or albinism.
In the 2023 general elections, there was an increase in the level of PWD political participation as PWDs served as party agents, beyond participating as electorates, while they were also engaged by INEC as ad-hoc staff, according to IFA.
The late governor of Ondo state, Rotimi Akeredolu, upon assuming office in 2017, created the office of the special assistant to the governor on Special Persons where he appointed a PWD, Folasade Arise, to bridge the gap between the office of the governor and the Agency for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities. The development was the first in the political history of the state, according to a statement by Fisayo Falodi, the press secretary to the late governor.
The Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola, has disclosed that 19 political parties will be participating in the forthcoming election. Meanwhile, one of the political parties, Youth Party (YP), had announced a 50 percent slash in the prescribed nomination fees for aspirants who are PWDs, women, and youth, as stated in a statement by the party’s acting national public secretary, Ayodele Adio. Similarly, the Electoral Commission has promised to ease the participation of PWDs in the voting process as the 2024 off-cycle elections draw closer.
Furthermore, disinformation, as a tool usually employed during elections towards influencing voter behavior and the outcome of the voting exercise, has been considered a threat to the electioneering process and could affect the robust participation of People living with disabilities (PWDs) in the forthcoming off-season election in Ondo state. This is why the electoral umpire has urged political parties to deepen internal democracy and shun the weaponization of disinformation and false narratives ahead of the polls.
While the leadership of INEC called on political parties to strengthen the inclusion of persons with disabilities in their activities, the election body appealed to them to tone down the negative rhetoric during campaigns, stressing the effects on the electorate before, during and after the election.
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