TAF AFRICA, a group of People With Disabilities (PWDs) says it will deploy 150 observers and 25 sign language interpreters for the Nov.8 governorship election in Anambra.

Amb. Jake Epelle, the Founder, Chief Executive Officer of TAF AFRICA said this at a stakeholders’ engagement on the Preparedness for a Disability Inclusive Governorship Election in Anambra in Awka. Epelle said that the 25 sign language interpreters would be deployed in high density areas of persons with hearing impairment. He said that PWDs have rights to priority voting which provided that this category of persons voted before others or as soon as they arrived at their polling units.

Epelle urged INEC to ensure they walked the talk by making sure that the inclusivity they preached was implemented by ensuring that PWDs are protected during the exercise. On her part, Dr Elizabeth Agwu, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Anambra assured that the commission is committed to disability inclusive election.

Agwu said that effort was in to ensure that they participate as voters and electoral officials. She said that the non-sensitive election materials for the election were already available and deployed to the local government areas. Agwu said that BVAS machines fully configured for 5, 720 polling units and 183 split units with extra 1,000 units for backup are ready for the exercise.

She said that INEC would deploy disability tools including braille for the blind, magnifying glass for people with albinism as well as form EC30 for the deaf during the election. There will be no hitches, we have not had hitches in Anambra because we have alternative networks and backups that ensure that there are no hitches and I am not under any pressure to deliver anybody.

Voter apathy looks like the biggest threat to this election, so I call on the people of Anambra to come out and vote instead of playing football or drinking while the election is on. Not voting is encouraging the wrong person to win, under me, it is not business as usual,” she said.

Also speaking, SP Ikenga, Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra said that Police were preparing seriously to ensure a peaceful election. Ikenga said Police personnel were having regular trainings with a view to giving special attention to persons with disabilities. Restriction of movement during election is a security strategy and not to punish anybody but we advised that those who want to vote to go areas they want to cast their votes, he said.

Edwin Okadigbo, Public Relations Department of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps said that the command had a PWD desk to demonstrate the priority the agency accorded to PWD. Okadigbo said the desk had been activated for the purposes of the election to ensure PWDs were not intimidated, discriminated against or disenfranchised.

Participants at the event included the disability community, media personalities and Civil Society.