Cobhams Laments Lack of Provision for Disabled Persons during Elections

Cobhams Laments Lack of Provision for Disabled Persons during Elections

Producer and singer Cobhams Asuquo has lamented the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)‘s lack of provisions for disabled persons in the voting exercise across the country, The Cable reports.

Speaking on Thursday at the Maiden edition of INEC campus outreach at the University of Abuja, the award winning music producer discussed his own experience voting in the 2015 elections, saying he could not vote in secret because there was no provision for him to do so.

Everyone at the polling centre knew who he voted for, he said, adding that he hoped things would be better in 2019. He said:

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.

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.

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.