INEC To Police: Protect Disabled Voters From Harassment, Intimidation
INEC To Police: Protect Disabled Voters From Harassment, Intimidation
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged the police and other security agencies to protect persons with disabilities from harassment, intimidation and insecurity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, made the appeal on Friday during a technical engagement on disability-inclusive election security and protection protocols in Abuja.
The meeting brought together security agencies, the European Union, TAF Africa, organisations of persons with disabilities and other stakeholders to develop strategies for safer and more accessible elections.
Amupitan said electoral security arrangements must address barriers that could prevent persons with disabilities from voting, including inaccessible polling units, communication difficulties, threats of violence and intimidation.
He stressed that election credibility depended not only on the voting process but also on whether every eligible citizen could participate freely, safely and without discrimination.
The INEC chairman cited the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026, the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 and Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as frameworks supporting inclusive elections.
He urged security agencies to incorporate disability-related concerns into risk assessments, personnel training, deployment plans and emergency-response procedures before election day.
According to him, preparations should include identifying inaccessible polling locations, congestion-prone areas, security flashpoints and communication barriers that could hinder voters with disabilities.
Amupitan also called for stronger cooperation among INEC, the police and other security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
He listed specialised police training, accessible channels for reporting incidents, clear disability-inclusive security protocols and continuous engagement with disability organisations among the measures needed ahead of the elections.
He further emphasised that assistance provided to voters with disabilities must preserve their dignity, independence, privacy and freedom of choice.
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