People with disabilities on Thursday called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to take into consideration their plight in terms of accessibility to the election venues.
The Cross River State Chairman of People with Disabilities who is a member of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Offiong Okon, made the call in Calabar at a stakeholders’ forum on the preparedness of INEC for the election.
He also called on security officials to ensure their safety at the polling units during the exercise.
This came just as the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Cross River State, Dr. Okey Ezeani, disclosed that the ballot boxes and ballot papers for each polling unit in next month’s elections would be coded to forestall snatching of electoral materials.
Okon said, “What provision has INEC put in place to protect us during the forthcoming elections? How accessible are the venues? If INEC recognises that people with disabilities have a duty to perform, have they also enlightened us? However, I want to plead that security officials should protect us during the exercise.”
In response to the inquiry on security, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Henry Fadairo, promised that all categories of voters would be protected during the elections.
He urged all eligible voters not to be scared on the day of election, promising that the police and other security agents would be on the ground to protect them.
Fadairo said the police had put in place several measures to ensure security of lives and property during and after the elections.
However, speaking on the issue of ballot boxes, Ezeani said the commission had customised all the polling units in the country such that no snatching of ballot boxes or papers during the elections would be possible.
“All ballot boxes and papers for various polling units are going to have different colour codes.
“So the issue of snatching of ballot boxes has become a thing of the past. We want to warn anybody who wants to make this election unsuccessful to steer clear. Their plans will not work,” he said.
