By Our Reporter
Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has called for stronger collaboration between the commission, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to ensure safe, accessible and inclusive voting for persons with disabilities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan made the call on Friday, October 23, 2026, at a high-level technical engagement on disability-inclusive election security and protection protocols held at the Abuja Inter-Continental Hotel.
The engagement, themed “Securing the Vote for All: Advancing Inclusive, Safe and Rights-Based Electoral Participation Ahead of the 2027 General Elections,” brought together security agencies, the European Union, TAF Africa, organisations of persons with disabilities and other stakeholders to strengthen protections for vulnerable voters.
The INEC chairman said credible elections must guarantee every eligible citizen the opportunity to participate freely, safely and without discrimination. He stressed that persons with disabilities must be protected from intimidation, harassment, insecurity and other barriers that could prevent them from exercising their voting rights.
He cited the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the Electoral Act 2026, the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 and Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as legal foundations for inclusive electoral participation.
Amupitan also highlighted provisions in INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2026, particularly Clauses 19, 21, 27 and 28, which provide for priority access, appropriate assistance and assistive voting materials for voters with disabilities.
On election security, he emphasised the responsibility of the police to maintain law and order, protect lives and property, prevent electoral violence and provide a secure environment for voting. He urged security personnel to demonstrate professionalism, impartiality and sensitivity to the needs of persons with different disabilities while preserving their dignity, privacy, independence and freedom of choice.
He called for disability inclusion to be integrated into security planning, personnel training, deployment and incident-response mechanisms before Election Day. He also urged security agencies to assess polling locations for accessibility challenges, congestion, potential flashpoints and communication barriers that could hinder voters with disabilities.
The INEC chairman stressed the need for effective coordination among the commission, the police and other security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), particularly in information-sharing, clear assignment of responsibilities and prompt responses to emerging threats.
Among the priorities he outlined were clear disability-inclusive election security protocols, specialised training for police personnel, accessible channels for reporting incidents, stronger inter-agency coordination and sustained engagement with organisations of persons with disabilities.
He added that electoral protection must extend beyond Election Day to cover voter registration, political campaigns, rallies, voting, collation of results and the post-election period.
Amupitan urged participants to translate the engagement into measurable outcomes, including operational procedures, designated institutional contact points, joint security assessments, appropriate training programmes and effective monitoring mechanisms ahead of the elections.
He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to working with the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, TAF Africa, development partners and disability organisations to strengthen inclusive electoral administration and security.
Acknowledging the contributions of TAF Africa and the European Union to efforts to promote the democratic participation of persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons, Amupitan said electoral inclusion was a democratic imperative, not an act of charity.
He maintained that every eligible citizen must have a meaningful opportunity to vote without discrimination, insecurity or avoidable institutional barriers, expressing optimism that the engagement would produce practical measures to enhance electoral security, equal participation and public confidence in the 2027 general elections.
