No voter needs to be denied voting rights resulting from incapacity, insecurity – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has urged the Nigeria Police Force and different safety businesses to strengthen measures to guard individuals with disabilities and assure their participation within the 2027 normal elections.

The fee mentioned electoral safety preparations should tackle the particular challenges confronted by voters with disabilities, together with intimidation, inaccessible polling models, communication obstacles and threats of violence.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, made the attraction on Friday throughout a high-level technical engagement on disability-inclusive election safety and safety protocols in Abuja.

The assembly, held on the Abuja Inter-Continental Hotel, introduced collectively safety businesses, the European Union, TAF Africa, organisations of individuals with disabilities and different stakeholders to develop methods for safer and extra accessible elections.

Amupitan mentioned the success of an election needs to be measured not solely by the conduct of voting but in addition by whether or not all eligible residents may train their rights with out concern or discrimination.

“The credibility of our elections depends not only on the voting process but also on the ability of every eligible citizen to participate freely, safely and without discrimination,” he mentioned.

He warned that individuals with disabilities remained susceptible to obstacles that might limit their participation and known as for stronger safeguards towards harassment, intimidation and insecurity.

“Persons with disabilities must be protected against intimidation, harassment, insecurity and other barriers that could prevent them from exercising their franchise,” the INEC chairman mentioned.

Amupitan recognized the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the Electoral Act 2026 and the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 among the many authorized devices supporting inclusive electoral participation.

He additionally cited Nigeria’s obligations beneath the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and INEC’s 2026 Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, which offer for precedence entry, help and acceptable voting supplies for individuals with disabilities.

The chairman urged the police to take care of professionalism and impartiality whereas making certain that safety operations didn’t undermine the dignity or independence of voters requiring help.

“Appropriate assistance must preserve the dignity, independence, privacy and freedom of choice of voters with disabilities,” he mentioned.

He known as for disability-related issues to be built-in into safety assessments, personnel coaching, deployment plans and emergency-response procedures earlier than election day.

According to him, such preparations ought to embody figuring out polling areas which can be troublesome to entry, areas liable to congestion, potential safety flashpoints and communication challenges that might forestall voters from casting their ballots.

Amupitan additionally advocated improved cooperation amongst INEC, the police and different safety businesses by means of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES.

He mentioned the collaboration ought to facilitate well timed information-sharing, make clear the obligations of collaborating businesses and guarantee swift responses to rising safety threats.

The INEC chairman listed the event of clear disability-inclusive safety protocols, specialised coaching for law enforcement officials, accessible incident-reporting channels and steady engagement with organisations of individuals with disabilities among the many measures required forward of the 2027 normal elections.