2019 elections: Increasing consideration for PWDs

For many Nigerians, the just concluded election was not what they expected. Not that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or Nigerians did not move ahead from where we were years ago, but it happened this way as a result of the high expectations from INEC. To be candid, Nigeria and Nigerians deserve more. How did this election not trounce others in degree of organization and delivery?

In 2017, the Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) started holding strategic engagements with INEC and other stakeholders for improved participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in our electoral process through the ‘Access Nigeria’ campaign. Through their programs, they developed recommendations for INEC to work with, developed initiatives, which INEC adopted. For IFA, Access Nigeria means four things: accessible routes to polling units, accessible voting materials, accessible Election Day procedures and accessible polling unit layout.

In 2018, IFA conducted several quarterly stakeholders’ roundtables and specific recommendations were made to produce braille ballot guides and Election Day written instructions to run a pilot during the

Ekiti and Osun state governorship elections in July and September, 2018. INEC deployed the form EC30 PWD during the Ekiti July governorship elections, and piloted the braille ballot guides in the Osun September 22, 2018 election; the first time it will be used in any elections in Nigeria.

The 2019 general election is, arguably, the most heated elections following the postponement of the elections by one week. This is not the first time either. But this is the first time, though, that expectations are held high by all Nigerians. The Access Nigeria campaign also conducted massive Voter Education for the PWDs and developed messages targeting stakeholders (INEC, DPOs and Nigerians) through radio jingles in Nigeria’s 6 geographical zones and television jingles on Channels Television. In the lead up to the presidential election, IFA produced and broadcast short video series to call on PWDs to vote during the general elections, how to vote using the braille ballot guides, voting procedures for deaf voters in sign language, etc.

Given the experience of PWDs, prior to voting, one of the recommendations made by the Access Nigeria campaign, which intensified after the Ekiti State elections, was priority voting. During the last presidential and National Assembly election, February 23, 2019, priority voting made PWDs excited at the process. PWDs, IFA and other civil society organizations (CSOs) commend INEC in this regard. The joy of participation in the electoral process happens when citizens feel accommodated in the process. During the election, the Access Nigeria citizen observers observed 60 polling units within the 6 Area Councils in Abuja. At 60 percent of the polling units visited, PWDs were given priority to vote before other citizens. This assisted PWD vote and leave the polling units.

On February 7, 2019, the Access Nigeria campaign, led by IFA conducted a regional National Celebration Rally in Abuja, Osun, Lagos, Taraba, Kano and Edo. The campaign commended the INEC for thinking inclusion but specifically asked that INEC place more ballot boxes and voting cubicles on flat surfaces to assist voters on wheelchair to vote easily. During the election, 86 percent of the 60 polling units visited by our observers showed that the voting cubicles and ballot boxes were placed on flat surfaces to aid those on wheelchair to vote with ease.

IFA also recruited Community Actors, who are carried out Community Outreaches across the 36 states and Abuja. The community actors reached PWDs across the 774 local government areas with messages on how to vote guided by the Form EC30 E (PWD), how to vote using the braille ballot guides, and also discouraged PWDs from participating in vote trading during the elections. The community actors gathered clusters of PWDs on a daily outreach and shared short videos on Whatsapp groups of various cluster groups.

IFA also recruited observers across the 36 states that are a collecting data of PWD participation before, during and after the elections to enable IFA conduct a review on PWD participation in the lead up to, and the 2019 general elections to inform their advocacy in the post 2019 elections. The IFA is carrying out all these activities under two major campaigns; Access Nigeria and Participate Today.

While reports from various observer groups indicate late deployment of materials to polling units, the Access Nigeria confirmed the deployment of the Election Day written instructions tagged ‘Form EC 30E PWD’. It is a polling unit poster that explains Election Day procedure for voters with hearing impairment. Based on YIAGA Africa’s Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) data, the PWD Poster was deployed to 81 percent of polling units nationally.

The braille ballot guide is an election material that assists voters with visual impairment to vote unassisted during election. The Access Nigeria campaign developed the guides and shared with INEC. It was first piloted during the September Osun governorship elections. INEC also produced and deployed the braille ballot guides for the presidential election in 46% of polling units based on YIAGA’s PVT data.

Major setbacks still remain. The dire need for training of ad hoc staff by INEC is an anchor point to ensuring effective administration of our elections. The INEC form ‘EC40H’ was not used on a large scale during the presidential election partly due to none deployment and knowledge gap by the poll officials.

We call on INEC to close the gaps that exist as the gubernatorial elections approach on March 9, 2019 and also call on all Nigerians to manage their expectations each time elections happen.

Above all, let winners celebrate with the consciousness that the next four years will be monitored closely by Nigerians to ensure they deliver. With funding from USAID/DFID, Voice, National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and technical support from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), IFA has been able to run this advocacy that is working. This sustained partnership will inform the work IFA will engage in after the elections.

Ajabiowe wrote this from Abuja