A forum for Persons With Disabilities, PWD in the North West has pledged to mobilise five million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, in the 2027 general elections.

The forum made the pledge during a stakeholders meeting held in Kano, where members of the group from across the seven states of the North West geopolitical zone gathered to deliberate on their role in the next electoral cycle.

Speaking at the event, leaders of the forum said the decision to support President Tinubu and Governor Yusuf was based on what they described as their inclusive governance and attention to the welfare of persons with disabilities.

According to the group, the present administrations at both the federal and Kano State levels have given PWDs a sense of belonging through appointments, social intervention programmes and policies aimed at improving their living conditions.

The Chairman of the forum said President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda has created opportunities for persons with disabilities through various social investment programmes, while Governor Yusuf has also demonstrated commitment by involving PWDs in governance in Kano State.

He noted that for the first time, persons with disabilities are being consulted in policy formulation and implementation, which has boosted their confidence in the two administrations.

The forum said it would commence grassroots mobilisation across local government areas in the North West to ensure that its members, their families and sympathisers are registered and ready to vote in 2027.

They disclosed that the mobilisation strategy will include sensitisation campaigns, voter education and door to door engagement, particularly in rural communities where many persons with disabilities reside.

They also called on the government to continue to prioritise disability inclusive policies, including access to education, healthcare, employment and political participation.

According to them, more can still be done to ensure full implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Prohibition Act and to create more economic opportunities for members.

The group maintained that the five million votes target is achievable through its existing structures in Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states, adding that it has coordinators in all the 186 local government areas of the zone.

It further urged other support groups to remain peaceful and law abiding as political activities gradually build up ahead of 2027, stressing that persons with disabilities believe in peaceful and issue based politics.