TAF Africa To Deploy 150 Observers For Ekiti Governorship Poll
A disability rights advocacy group, TAF Africa, has announced plans to deploy 150 observers to monitor the participation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) during the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June 20.
The disclosure was made by the organisation’s Assistant Programme Manager, George Anwayi, who confirmed that approximately 50 of the observers would themselves be PWDs. According to him, the deployment is part of a broader follow up on the organisation’s earlier mobilisation drive aimed at boosting PWD participation in the electoral process.
Anwayi spoke on Saturday in Ado Ekiti during a voter education exercise tagged “Able2Vote Community Outreach for PWDs in Ekiti State,” an initiative designed to combat voter apathy and entrench the inclusion of PWDs in Nigeria’s electoral system. The programme, organised by TAF Africa with funding support from the European Union, was rolled out across the three senatorial districts of the state.
“Our Able2Vote campaign is about sensitising PWDs, enlightening them about their right to participate in the electoral process and the need for them to actually participate to be part of those who will elect the leaders that will serve them, good leaders who will bring about development and disability inclusion in Nigeria,” Anwayi was quoted as saying.
He further explained the rationale behind the observer mission, stressing that the exercise goes beyond mere participation tracking. According to him, the team will assess multiple indicators on election day, including voter turnout among PWDs, the availability of critical accessibility instruments and the conduct of security personnel toward disabled voters.
“We are encouraging them to come out and vote, we also want to see their participation, so we have to observe on election day to see if they are coming out to vote. We also want to see if they are being provided with EC40H, the PWD forms and assistive devices. We will also monitor if they have any issues with security on election day,” he stated.
The EC40H form, introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is a dedicated documentation tool used to capture data on PWDs at polling units nationwide, a mechanism widely regarded as central to inclusive electoral planning.
Anwayi disclosed that findings from the observer mission would form the basis of engagements with INEC, with a view to driving reforms where necessary. He added that TAF Africa already maintains a working partnership with the electoral umpire on initiatives targeted at improving the electoral experience of disabled voters.
Lending his voice to the development, the General Secretary of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Ekiti State Branch, Femi Oni, commended TAF Africa for what he described as a timely and impactful intervention. According to him, the voter education campaign had significantly heightened the political consciousness of PWDs across the state.
Oni expressed confidence that members of the PWD community in Ekiti would turn out in significant numbers on election day, citing the awareness generated by the outreach as a major driving factor.