2023: PWDs urge INEC to extend voters registration

The national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Persons Living with Disabilities, PWDs, Hon Tolu Bankole, has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise by one month for PWDs, in order to accommodate more members of the community.

Bankole, in a letter addressed to the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu and sighted by CAPITAL POST, stated that update from INEC voters registration revealed that only 87,083 PWDs were able to meet the July 31st deadline set by the commission.

He expressed fear that majority of the PWDs community will be excluded from the 2023 electoral process if more people are not given the opportunity to register.

The National leader, APC,PWDs said “We observed that PWDs who were excluded from the exercise are in two categories: Those who have done the online pre-registration but could not complete the physical registration due to the rowdy situation in most registration points and those who were not captured despite their frantic efforts at the physical registration points.

“Our estimation from our findings revealed that those excluded are more than the number registered as cited by the Commission above.

“Although we recognize the Commission’s position on the constraints of time: to print millions of Permanent Voters’ Card (PVCs) for all fresh registrants and applicants for transfer and replacement of lost or damaged PVCs; to print the final register of voters in triplicate for the 2023 General Election among others.

“Also, we appreciate your PWDs inclusive policies since your assumption of office that have led to tangible actions as against mere rhetoric of the past.

“However, we appeal on behalf of thousands of Persons With Disabilities, PWDs across the country who would be disenfranchise due to no fault of theirs other than being impaired that the Commission considers the extension of the Continuous Voters’ Registration (CVR) for one month for Persons With Disabilities, PWDs. We believe if this extension is granted, PWDs clusters across the country will maximize this non-obstructive window to participate fully in the Continuous Voters’ Registration.

Hon Bankole further expressed optimism extension of the CVR by at least a month for PWDs will forestall disenfranchisement of thousands of eligible PWDs in the 2023 general elections.