The right to vote remains one of the most critical tenets of the democratic process. In 2018, following the tireless efforts of organisations in Nigeria such as the Disabled Persons Organisation (DPO) and Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) under the #AccessNigeria: Disability Votes Matter, a major feat was achieved with regards to inclusion in Nigerian democracy – for the first time ever, voters with visual impairments were allowed to vote unassisted, thanks to newly developed Braille Ballot Guide.
As groundbreaking as this test run in Osun state was, people with disabilities in Nigeria are still unable to cast their votes or stand for political elections at local and national elections. With over one billion people experiencing disability on a global scale, the majority of whom live in low-income countries such as Nigeria, it has become imperative to dismantle roadblocks impeding the participation of people with disabilities, in Nigerian politics.
Barriers Hindering Political Inclusion for People with Disabilities in Nigeria
According to a framework developed by the International Foundation for Electoral System in 2014, barriers to political participation for people with disabilities tend to occur at every stage of the election cycle, including pre-election, election, and post-election stages.
Taking the 2019 Nigerian general elections and other past elections into consideration, some of these barriers include but are not limited to:
Gruelling Registration Processes
Registration processes in Nigeria are never easy and unfortunately, this also applies to the voter’s card registration and collection process. It is not news that the less than conducive procedure has deterred several members of the voting community from participating in the elections on a general level. From long and poorly managed queues to technical issues and lack of adequate manpower, the first stage of the Nigerian electoral process is difficult for voters – disabled or otherwise.
Lack of Accessible Information
Voter Education, providing details on how to vote, when to vote, options available in the form of political candidates, the importance of voting as a civic duty of every Nigerian, what is expected from public office holders, and the rights of voters across the board, is vital in helping the electorate make sensible decisions in their choice of leadership. However, there seems to be a lack of diversity in this educational process and the general dissemination of election information. Outside breaking information down through a variety of languages that cater to different ethnic groups, it is also important to cater to the need of persons with disabilities who aren’t able to easily access or comprehend the information being spread. This inadvertently leaves them out of the electoral process and increases political exclusion.
Moving forward, Electoral Management Bodies, especially the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and political parties need to reach out to the disabled communities through the adoption of various means such as sign language, easy-to-read pictures, tactile, etc.
Infrastructure and Inefficiency of Election Management Agencies
In 2019, just the other years before it, Nigeria, as part of security measures placed restrictions on vehicle movement on the day of elections. While this might have increased the chances of a safe election, it also posed a major problem to persons with disabilities who are not mobile enough, physically, to reach their polling units. Just like the case of inaccessible polling centres, several hindrances are recorded during the main elections process. For one, most poll workers are not efficiently trained on administering the vote to persons with disabilities. It is oftentimes a struggle to find agents/poll workers with the right training and patience to ensure a seamless voting process for this minority group. As a result of these factors, most persons with disabilities either sit out the election process or leave the polls without casting their votes.
This story is part of our new series on Nigeria where we analyse electoral reform in the country ahead of the next general elections in 2023.
