2027: APC disability directorate targets 5m votes for Tinubu

The Directorate of Persons with Disabilities of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has set a target of mobilising at least five million votes for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 general election.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Muhammad Abba Isa, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the second inaugural meeting of the directorate’s leadership.

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Isa said the directorate would work with disability organisations, political support groups and other stakeholders to achieve the target, stressing that effective coordination, strategic planning and grassroots mobilisation would be critical to its success.

“We are going to mobilise at least five million votes to support Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

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He explained that the directorate was positioning persons with disabilities as active participants in the electoral process, both as voters and stakeholders, adding that efforts would be made to ensure that eligible voters were not disenfranchised by barriers to accessing polling units and voting facilities.

Isa disclosed that the directorate had engaged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on preparations for the 2027 general election, including measures to improve electoral accessibility for persons with disabilities.

He said the engagement was aimed at assessing the commission’s preparedness to accommodate voters with different forms of disabilities, including wheelchair users and persons with visual impairments.

“We have been engaging with INEC, even in the last two weeks. Organisations of persons with disabilities, support groups and the media were invited to discuss the level of preparedness for the 2027 elections,” he said.

According to him, accessibility remains a critical issue in ensuring that persons with disabilities can exercise their voting rights without unnecessary difficulties.

He commended INEC for its efforts towards inclusive elections, noting that persons with disabilities were registered voters in polling units across the country and should be adequately supported to participate in the electoral process.

The presidential aide, however, expressed concern that some persons with disabilities who possessed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) might not be adequately captured in existing voter data, making it difficult to establish their actual number.

He said the directorate was working with disability organisations to improve engagement with the community and strengthen mobilisation, adding that reliable data would help stakeholders better understand the voting strength of persons with disabilities.

Isa identified the National Association of Persons with Disabilities, an umbrella body coordinating various disability groups, as a key partner in the mobilisation exercise.

He also commended the Tinubu administration for establishing an office dedicated to special needs and equal opportunities, saying the initiative had given persons with disabilities greater visibility within the administration.

According to him, nearly 29 states have established agencies to safeguard the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities, a development he attributed to increased attention to disability inclusion.

He said the community was prepared to participate actively in the 2027 elections and support the administration’s re-election campaign, while calling for continued policies and programmes to improve the welfare of persons with disabilities.

The co-director of the directorate, Hon. Aare Tolu Bankole, said the APC was working towards securing substantial electoral support for Tinubu and other party candidates in the 2027 general election.

Bankole said the directorate’s immediate responsibility was to develop strategies for translating its mobilisation plans into votes, adding that the party was focused on the margin of victory it could secure.

“We are committed to the election of our father, the President of the nation, in the 2027 election. As members of this campaign council, we are committed to putting in our best to ensure the election of the President and all APC candidates with a big vote,” he said.

He added: “We are here to strategise and tell the world that, come 2027, there is no vacancy in Aso Rock.”

The Deputy Director of the Directorate for Women with Disabilities, Hon. Lois Auta, also expressed support for the administration’s initiatives on disability inclusion, particularly those aimed at improving the participation of women with disabilities in governance.

Auta, who is also a board member of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, said the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities was an important step towards addressing issues affecting the community.

She also highlighted the proposed Reserved Seats Bill for women and persons with disabilities, expressing hope that its passage would strengthen their representation in elective positions.

According to her, greater political representation would provide women and persons with disabilities with more opportunities to influence policies and decisions affecting their lives.

Auta expressed confidence that persons with disabilities would play an active role in mobilising support for Tinubu’s re-election, saying the directorate intended to draw on the community’s numerical strength and political participation.

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