…. Says if A- Ibom Governor /Adamawa Speaker can make it to the top as PWDs, any other person can
….Tasks PWDs on early arrival at polling stations, deploys 150 PWDs monitors
By our Reporter
As the June 20, 2026 Ekiti gubernatorial election draws near, a Non-governmental organization, The All-Rights Foundation, (TAF – Africa), formally known as’The Albino Foundation’, has taken its ongoing statewide enlightenment campaign to Otun-Ekiti, Headquarters of Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
Times Daily Newspaper (TDN) Online reports on Wednesday that the initiative, which comes under the name, ‘Able2Vote Community Outreach’, began since Monday in Ikere -Ekti, and will end on Friday in Ado-Ekiti, the State capital.
It is a disability-inclusive voter education initiative, designed to strengthen the participation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election, scheduled for June 20, 2026.
The programme is being Implemented by TAF Africa, with support from the European Union, under the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Programme.
Among others, the campaign seeks to bridge the information and participation gap that continues to affect PWDs, particularly those living in grassroots communities across Ekiti State.
Addressing the gathering, the Assistant Programme Manager of TAF – Africa, Mr. George Dominic said TAF Africa expects PWDs to effectively participate in the coming Ekiti gubernatorial poll, and the subsequent ones coming up across Nigeria in 2027.
He said no PWD can afford to be left out, or be stigmatized in any way, knowing fully well that currently, the Akwa Ibom governor is a person with albinism, while the Adamawa Speaker is an amputee.
“Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno is the Governor of Akwa Ibom State. He is serving for 2023–2027. He is living with albinism.
” Adamawa State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Bathiya Wesley, is the Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly as of February 2026. He is an amputee, so why must you lose hopes, or look down on yourselves?According to him, every person with disability must be bold enough to exercise his or her relevance constitutional and according to the Electoral Act, or vote in any election, without any fear of intimidation or harassment.
He announced that TAF Africa already has every possible arrangement in place to assist any PWDs in whatever areas of difficulties while contesting elections, or while voting in an election.
He stated that Nigeria’ actually needs persons with disabilities to be in positions of trust and leadership in the country, huge enough to have the interest of PWDs at heart, hence, the need for them to participate in every process, including seeking elective offices.
However, he tasked all PWDs across the country, in respect of the 2027 general elections, and in Ekit in particular, where the governorship election would be holding in just a matter of about a month, to make sure they have their voter cards handy, while those without voter cards should ensure they register.
As contained in the mission statement of TAF Africa, signed by the Founder/CEO, Amb. Jake Epelle, he said the community outreach of TAF, adopted a participatory and inclusive approach, through town hall meetings and grassroots engagements, involving Persons with Disabilities, community leaders, religious leaders, and other local stakeholders.
He said the body, in conjunction with its collaborators, EU, had observed overtime that despite existing legal protections and the provisions of the Electoral Act, many Persons with Disabilities still encounter barriers that limit their full participation in Nigeria’s democratic process.
” Whereas, the Able2Vote campaign reinforces the principle that democracy can only be truly meaningful when every citizen, regardless of disability, is able to participate fully and equally in governance and decision-making processes.
According to TAF, ” Unfortunately, their challenges range from inadequate access to voter education and registration information, to inaccessible polling environments and limited awareness of disability-inclusive electoral provisions, introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
” While previous voter education engagements, conducted by TAF Africa and partners, reached many PWDs in urban centres, there also remains a significant need to deepen awareness and civic engagement among PWDs in rural and underserved communities.
” The Able2Vote campaign is therefore focused on empowering PWDs with the knowledge, confidence, and tools, required to actively participate in the electoral process, as voters, advocates, observers, aspirants, and leaders”.
It is reported that at the Otun-Ekiti Moba event, scores of PWDs that throng the venue for the exercise were not only educated on their electoral rights and responsibilities, they were also sensitized on disability-inclusive provisions, within the Electoral Act, and were informed about INEC initiatives, designed to improve accessibility, during elections.
The campaign also encouraged greater civic participation, while promoting accountability among electoral stakeholders and community actors.He also announced the Introduction of a Data Dashboard for Persons With Disabilities, to further help any PWDs across Nigeria.
” In Version 1.1 of our technology upgrade, we have taken our first steps outside elections.Our Election Observer app, introduced in 2023, focused on observing elections and recording the experiences of PWDs across various polling units in the country.
“Our goal now, is to optimise the application for elections and include features relevant beyond election observation.
” The first upgrade will introduce additional PWD related data and dashboards for assessing information about PWDs.
“This Disability Hub is a powerful app, designed to promote disability inclusion and advocacy, by monitoring elections and documenting the experiences of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) across polling units nationwide.
“Originally focused on election observation, this app now offers expanded features to support ongoing disability rights efforts and inclusive governance”, he said.
Activities included simplified presentations on electoral rights and processes, interactive discussions, experience-sharing sessions from PWDs who have participated in previous elections, simulated voting experiences and stakeholder dialogues, aimed at strengthening local support for inclusive electoral participation.
Accessible communication methods, including sign language interpretation were also deployed to ensure no participant is excluded.
