By Victor Akinkuolie Ado-Ekiti

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People living With Disabilities (PWDs) in Ekiti State have threatened that they would take the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Court for alleged exclusion of their members in the electoral process in the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti State.

Addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti , on Tuesday after presenting a report if its findings about the impending poll, the Executive Director, Centre for Citizens’ Living With Disabilities, Dr. David Anyaele, said the National Disability Law has mandated INEC to provide materials for inclusion of PWDs in all elections.

Anyaele said every attempt to prevent members of the group from voting due to INEC’s laxity will be challenged in court, saying such would amount to a breach of the law signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

On the issue of security, Anyaele posited that the PWDs are deeply worried due to persistent cases of thuggery during election, urging INEC to partner police and other security agencies to checkmate this sordid scenario.

“Up to now, we learnt the INEC has not made some materials ready to sensitize the PWDs, particularly the form EC40H. It is also the duty of INEC to allow the deafs  to bring sign specialists to polling units for proper voting. To resolve this, there must be disability desk officers across all the polling units.

“The reason why we are here is to hold INEC into account. It is no longer a charity for INEC to provide enabling environment for PWDs to vote. Before, it was INEC may provide materials for PWDs to participate, but the law has changed it to INEC shall.

“We are here to observe INEC compliance and any failure, we are going to use every legal instrument to compel INEC to comply. It is not about Ekiti alone, but we are also impressing that in Osun”.

On the issue of vote- buying, where the PWDs are more susceptible, Anyaele said: “We  are telling our people to refrain from the act of vote-buying and selling. We are going to roll out jingles a week to that election that our members shouldn’t engage in this because of economic deprivation.

“People can’t be mortgaging their future or trivialise the electoral system by selling their votes. Bad governance affects everybody, including the PWDs, so it is necessary that we stay away from such evil.”

In the report presented by the Center’s Research Officer, Mr. Humphrey Ukeaja, revealed that 95 percent of people living with disabilities in Ekiti are ready to vote, saying 80 pe cent of them already procured their Permanent Voter Cards(PVCs).

“The report showed that 44.2 percent of them found some of the polling units inaccessible, they are complaining about topography.

“Reports by some of the leaders of PWDs in Ekiti confirmed that INEC has not been taking steps to carry them along in the process of electioneering. There is need for interactions between the INEC and the PWDs for them to be fully part of the electoral process.”