The 36 state leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) have passed vote of confidence on the party national chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
They also commended the leadership style of Ganduje stating that members of the community now fare better under his administration.
The group made the assertion during a solidarity visit to the national chairman at the party headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
Speaking, the APC national leader of PWDs, Hon. Tolu Bankole described the national chairman as PWD friendly and one who is committed to addressing the concerns of Persons With Disabilities.
“Your Excellency Sir, this is our first meeting with you as Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) since your assumption of office as the National Chairman of our great party.
“Thus, it is apt to use this visit to say publicly that PWDs are better under His Excellency, Abdullahi Ganduje than any previous party administration”, Bankole noted.
Hon. Bankole also expressed his group’s unalloyed support to President Bola Tinubu whose policies is said to be favourable to the community.
In his words, “Let me also use this medium to pledge the support of all clusters of APC PWDs in Nigeria and in diaspora to Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu whose Renewed Hope policies are beginning to birth a paradigm shift from a country for the highs and the mighties to a country where the child of a nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody. From an import dependent economy to a self sufficient economy.
“Mr President can count on us as loyal party members that we will support his administration and our PWDs friendly National Chairman to guarantee internal cohesion in our party as he takes on the onerous task of ensuring that disability does not become inability for us.
“Permit me to commend the Renewed Hope Initiative of Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu which is targeting PWDs and other vulnerable segments of the society. Our governors and national assembly members have all shown commitment to alleviating the plights of PWDs”.
Like Oliver Twist, the PWD community is requesting for more from the President Bola Tinubu-led administration and the party national leadership.
“Indeed, the government must do more for us. Disability is not inability. Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the things needed to lead about one’s daily life
“I have said it humorously but factually, that the PWDs constituency is the fastest growing community. People are recruited involuntarily daily. Disability is never by choice, and nobody is immune.
“The population of persons with disabilities in Nigeria according to Independent findings in 2022 is above 31 million, this is higher than the entire population of five countries in the West African sub-region. Many often forget that we have children, wives and other dependants who look up to us for support and sustenance.
“Six years after the passage of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, only 13 states have demonstrated measures to domesticate the Act. They include Lagos, Anambra, Ekiti, Ondo, Plateau, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kogi, Niger, Kwara and the FCT.
“We call on the state governments who are yet to domesticate fully the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, to do so without further delay and establish the Disability Commission as enshrined in the Act. This is important because failure in this regard is tacit endorsement of discrimination and other harmful practices against Persons With Disabilities”, he added.
In his response, Dr. Ganduje appreciated the PWDs for their encouragement. He also promised to support the community on the acquisition of skills for members.
