Elections: CCD reopens disability support centre

The Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD) a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has reopened its election support centre for monitoring and reporting on participation of Persons with Disability (PWDs).

David Anyaele, the Executive Director of CCD, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the centre had on February 15 launched its PWDs support centre before the elections were postponed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Anyaele said with the rescheduling of the general elections, PWDs remain resolute in not only participating in the elections but also monitoring the electoral process.

This, he said, was with a view to ensuring that PWDs were not marginalised.

“Following the reassurances from the Chairman of INEC, Professor  Mahmood Yakubu, that the presidential and National Assembly elections would now hold on Feb. 23, CCD through its campaign for Equal Voting Access (EVA) for PWDs has officially reopened its election day support centre for PWDs.

“From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, the support centre located at Transcorp Hilton Hotel would be opened and accessible to all.

“This is part of the efforts of CCD to observe the 2019 general elections to ensure that no one is left behind by reason of disability,’’ he said.

                                                                                                                                   Anyaele said the centre would ensure on-the-spot support for PWDs who would go out to vote and provide real-time data collection from the field on their participation in the elections.

He posited that for over 12 years, the centre had sought a redefinition of the participation of PWDs in the Nigerian electoral process.

“The CCD is accredited as a local observer for the 2019 general elections, so we would be participating actively.

“We have trained and retrained, and deployed both female and male PWDs as election observers in Abuja, Abia, Kano, Lagos, Plateau, Gombe, Enugu and Rivers States.

“It is our intention to follow up on the outcome of the election observation which would be rigorously documented, with the view to monitor and evaluate the level of provisions and participation of PWDs in the electoral process.

“We shall also make necessary recommendations to ensure full implementation of the National Disability Act and INEC framework on persons with disabilities by all stakeholders.

“The resultant report would be strategically disseminated among stakeholders working within the broad area of elections and PWDs in Nigeria and to INEC in particular,’’ he said.

(NAN)

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