By Habibu Harisu
Mr Jake Epelle, the Chief Executive Officer of Albino Foundation has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Law.
Epelle made the appeal on Wednesday in Sokoto at a workshop organised by the foundation.
He said that the signing into law of the electoral bill would pave way for free and fair election in 2023 general elections in the country.
He said that the bill would also encourage persons with disabilities to participate in politics at all levels in the country.
He said Electoral Amendment Bill contained provisions that could address electoral challenges adding that the bill would directly impact preparations for upcoming elections.
According to him, signing the Bill would prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from postponing elections on many grounds including disenfranchising any group in the country.
Epelle explained that the workshop was aimed at ensuring respect and equal rights for people with disabilities and to also encourage them to actively participate in politics especially at the grassroots.
The Chief Executive urged the state governments to domesticate the persons living with disabilities law in the interest of social justice.
He further urged people to have a change of attitude towards people living with disabilities.
In his remark, INEC representative in Sokoto, Alhaji Usman Muhammad, called on political parties to provide modalities that would encourage the participation of people living with disabilities in politics in the country.
Muhammad said in line with the commission’s vision and mission, the INEC had designed measures that would ease the participation of people with disabilities in politics as well as casting of their votes.
Mrs Aisha Abdullahi, a Sokoto-based advocate of social inclusion policy, said that the physically challenged persons constituted high percentage of the nation’s population and possessed great potentialities that contributed to nation building.
Alhaji Arzuka Usman-Bodinga, a Director in Sokoto State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, reiterated the state government efforts to ensure strong coordination of all social protection activities in the state. (NAN)
