The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Mohammed Abba Isa, has called on persons with disabilities to join the City Boy Movement and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abba Isa made the call in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at the 2026 World Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day, where he linked the mobilisation of persons with disabilities to what he described as the gains recorded in disability inclusion under the Tinubu administration.
The event, organised to commemorate World Spinal Cord Injury Day, was held under the theme, “From Awareness to Action: Ten Years Advancing SCI Prevention.”
Abba Isa said the administration’s disability inclusion efforts had extended across governance, economic empowerment and social protection, noting that several interventions and policy measures had been put in place to improve the participation and welfare of persons with disabilities.
He pointed to the implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 and the Accessibility Regulations 2023, as well as the role of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities in advancing disability rights.
He also highlighted the Federal Government’s commitment to reserve 10 per cent of social intervention opportunities for persons with disabilities, describing the measures as evidence of growing attention to disability inclusion under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“These interventions and commitments demonstrate that disability inclusion is receiving the attention it deserves under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
The presidential aide, however, said sustaining the interventions required continuity of the administration, urging the disability community to become more involved in the political process.
He said the community should not remain on the sidelines of democratic activities but should organise and support a government that had demonstrated commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities.
“In line with the principle of Inform, Engage and Empower, the disability community must not stand aside from the democratic process. We must organise, participate and support a government that has demonstrated commitment towards inclusion and equal opportunities,” Abba Isa said.
He said the City Boy Movement was building a network of supporters committed to democracy, good governance, inclusion and the continued progress of Nigeria.
Abba Isa consequently urged members of the disability community to join the movement and work towards the return of Tinubu in 2027.
“That is why I enjoin every one of you to onboard and join the City Boy Movement, so that together we can work towards returning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 and consolidating the gains we have recorded so far,” he said.
He stressed that participation in democracy should not be limited to voting, arguing that persons with disabilities must also be involved in shaping policies and decisions that affect their lives.
“Our participation in democracy is not only about voting; it is about protecting persons with disabilities, sustaining inclusion and ensuring that the voices and interests of persons with disabilities remain central to national development,” he said.
Abba Isa's remarks came against the backdrop of his call for a broader shift in the treatment of disability from charity to rights-based inclusion.
He said persons with disabilities should be viewed as active participants in national development, rather than beneficiaries of sympathy or charity.
He further called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, families, employers, healthcare providers, communities, civil society organisations and the media to advance disability inclusion.
Also speaking at the event, Dr Chike Okogwu, founder of the Centre for Ability Rehabilitation and Empowerment in Nigeria, said persons with disabilities needed opportunities to contribute to society rather than pity.
Reflecting on the significance of the spinal cord injury community, Okogwu said many persons who had become disability advocates and public voices may not have attained such visibility without their experiences with disability.
“We don't need pity, we need opportunities. And I'm glad that Renewed Hope Agenda is already talking about that,” he said.
Okogwu acknowledged what he described as improvements in accessibility under the Tinubu administration, saying there was still considerable room for progress.
“We are not where we want to be yet, but we're not where we used to be,” he said.
He called on the Federal Government to increase investment in infrastructure, rehabilitation, transportation, education and technology, which he said were necessary to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities.
“I want to call on the Renewed Hope Agenda to help us increase infrastructure, rehabilitation, transportation, education, technology, and all the things that we need to make our life better,” Okogwu said.
He also appealed to political parties and actors to promote unity and inclusion, stressing that political competition should not become a source of division.
“Politics is not war. Politics is unity. And anything that can bring us all together, let us do so,” he said.