The Independent National Electoral Commission has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that persons with disabilities are not excluded from participating in the 2027 general elections, as it intensifies preparations for inclusive polls nationwide.

The commission said it is strengthening measures to address physical, communication and procedural barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from exercising their electoral rights, including improving polling unit accessibility and deploying assistive voting materials.

The assurance was given on Monday in Gombe State by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Umar Mukhtar Gajiram, represented by the Administrative Secretary, Fadimatu Aliyu Bakari, at a sensitisation workshop on disability inclusion, accessibility and electoral interventions held at Hajiya Amina Inuwa Gombe Hall.

Gajiram said every Nigerian has the right to participate in elections irrespective of physical, visual, hearing or other forms of disability, stating that, “As an electoral body, INEC recognises that PWDs have the same rights as every other citizen. Their votes matter, their voices matter, and their participation is important to the growth of our democracy.”

He explained that the commission has introduced measures including braille ballot guides for visually impaired voters, magnifying glasses for persons with albinism, EC30 PWD instruction posters for voters with hearing impairment, priority voting queues, and collaboration with disability organisations to promote inclusive elections.

According to him, having these measures in place is not enough, as the commission must ensure they are properly understood and put into practice, adding that the workshop brought together PWDs, Electoral Officers and Disability Desk Officers from the 11 local government areas to share experiences and find practical solutions before the 2027 polls.

Also speaking, the Assistant Director, Youth, at INEC headquarters, Bukar Maikwada, said the workshop was organised to strengthen stakeholders’ understanding of disability inclusion and ensure effective deployment of INEC’s adaptive interventions, noting that the Electoral Act 2026 makes it mandatory to accommodate special needs of PWDs to guarantee no eligible voter is disenfranchised in 2027.