AHEAD of the forthcoming general polls, Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) have called for a violent-free elections in Plateau.

Mrs Patricia Pam of the Plateau Disability Rights Commission made the call in a paper titled “Inclusive Electoral Process; PWDs and Access in the 2019 General Elections”, at a forum on Tuesday in Jos.

The forum organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Plateau office for the PWDs in the state was aimed at sensitising the disadvantaged people on ways of simplifying the electoral process.

Pam said that the PWDs suffers the most when elections are marred by violence, adding that residents of the state should support INEC in conducting a peaceful and credible elections.

“All we advocate for is violent-free elections in Plateau come Feb. 16 and March 2. When there is violence during elections, we the PWDs suffer most, because we are highly disadvantaged and so fall victims of such election crisis.

“So, we want to plead with our people, particularly the youths to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner on election days,” she advised.

Pam called on INEC officials and security agents to accord special priority to the PWDs on election days, particularly when violence erupts at polling units.

She commended INEC on efforts put in place to ensure that the forthcoming polls was all-inclusive, adding that the measures put in place to make the voting process less herculean for the PWDs would ensure nobody was disenfranchised.

Pam called on the PWDs in the state to come out in their numbers on election days to vote the candidates of their choice. (NAN)

– Feb. 5, 2019 @ 17:05 GMT |