By Olugbolade Ogboro-Cole
As Ekiti State prepares for Saturday’s governorship election, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Education and Social Inclusion(SESI), Princess Adetoun Agboola, has assessed the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accommodate Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), giving the electoral body a pre-election rating of 75 percent while calling for more improvements.
Speaking exclusively to JIROLTV, Princess Agboola acknowledged INEC’s deliberate and intentional efforts to engage with the disability community, noting that the commission has held meaningful consultations with the Joint Association of Persons With Disabilities.
“INEC has been intentional, deliberate, and they’ve been of great support for PWDs. They’ve met with the association and engaged with them, so they know what to expect,” she stated.
However, the Special Advisor raised concerns about lingering challenges, including the distance of polling units from PWDs and accessibility issues for those on wheelchairs—factors she said could affect comprehensive voting.
“Those are things that INEC still has to put in place. So far, pre-elections, we give them 75 percent. After the election, we would rate them better. By then, we would know if they made available materials for PWDs at the polling unit. If those materials are not available, then they are not ready for PWDs,” she explained.
Princess Agboola also provided an update on her office’s voter education and mobilization efforts, revealing that most eligible PWDs in the state have successfully collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
“We went around to ensure that our people have their PVCs. Most PWDs in the state, those of voting age, have their PVCs. For those who were somehow omitted, we told them to go and do another one so they won’t be denied on election day. We’ve gone around to see that they’ve been collecting the new ones,” she confirmed.
In a passionate appeal, the Special Advisor declared that families and parents of children with disabilities are fully mobilized and ready to vote, driven by gratitude for Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s support and a desire to secure the next four years of progress.
“Parents of children with disabilities in the state, their family members—they are ready. Because of everything the governor has done for them, they know it’s time to pay back. They are not paying back; they are speaking to the next four years—the next four years of help and support for their children,” Princess Agboola said.
“If the governor is there, that’s when he can continue the support he has been providing. So, for them, it’s important that the governor comes back. They are ready,” she concluded.
