To ensure more inclusion for People Living with Disabilities (PWDs), anyone who succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 must consider ministerial and director generals appointments among others for Nigerians living with disabilities.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PWD representative in the party’s National Caretaker Committee, Dr. James Lalu, made the demand Monday in Abuja, at a strategic planning session of the APC-PWD leaders ahead of the 2022 national convention of the party.
Lalu commended the ruling APC for according PWDs recognition in the scheme of things both at the national and state levels of the party.
While congratulating the newly elected PWD leaders at the just concluded congresses of the party, Lalu urged the new leaders to take their assignment seriously, morealso when the party has recognised and carry PWDs in the party along.
“Leadership is about change. Only God gives power to whom He wants. We all have to rally round and support anyone in position of leadership.
“We are going to moblise our 35 million members to vote for the APC during the next general elections. We need to remain focused as leaders to give the right direction.
“We must remain united and coordinated in order to contribute our quota to the development and electoral fortunes of our party.
We must keep our differences adide and be united so that we can get our target of total inclusion of PWDs in governance.
“It is when we have a united house that whoever emerge as the next president will be able to carry us along, just as President Muhammsdu Buhari had been doing. He has raised the bar of inclusion of PWDs, his successor will have to continue from President Buhari’s achievements.
“We are going to ensure that the next president, consider PWDs for appointments as minister, director-general while the governors must appoint our people as commissioners come 2023.”
In his goodwill message, Representative of the International Republican Institute (IRI) Sunday Alao, said APC is the first political party to include PWDs as leaders in the party constitution, adding that it is also the first major party to have elected PWDs party leader at all levels of the party including as member of the National Working Committee.
According to IRI, PSD leaders have review the APC constitution and proposed recommendations to further increase PWD representation in the party leadership.
Alao urged the party to adopt the recommendations as a deliberate effort to accommodate more PWDs in the APC.
“This meeting will provide another opportunity to review your participation in the party congresses and develop strategy for your effective participation in the forthcoming national convention.”
