INEC has no provision for disabled persons, Cobhams laments

Cobhams Asuquo, music producer and alternative artiste, says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not have structures to enable persons living with disability vote unaided.

NAN reports that Asuquo, who is visually impaired, made this statement on Thursday at the Maiden edition of INEC campus outreach at the University of Abuja.

Cohbams described his experience in the 2015 general election as bad saying people at the polling unit where he voted knew his voting choices.

“The day I voted people at the voting centre knew whom I was voting for because of the type of set up, obviously I did not have access to choose whom I wanted to vote for without assistance,” he said.

“I could not do secret voting, of which I understand that the practice of voting is supposed to be in secrecy, where you and you alone ought to know who you are voting for.

“I think voting and the right to register is the right of every Nigerian and for whatever reason we haven’t seriously considered the need to include persons living with disabilities in the process of voting.”

The One Hit singer said the Nigerian voting system is a work in progress and that he has faith in INEC to reverse the trend, especially for challenged persons like himself, in 2019.

“Come 2019 general elections I want to be franchised without anyone’s interference and the only way I can do so, is through the inclusion of persons like me in the electoral process by INEC,” he said.

He said that there were millions of Cobhams out there who had ability to contribute to make Nigeria what it ought to be but they lacked the structural services or incentives to do so.

He said that if opportunity was not given to him through artistes, such as e 2face and Asa, he would not have shown his potentialities to the world.

Asuquo advised youths to get registered and get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), which could be likened to a legal tender.