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| Aare (Hon.) Tolu Bankole, APC National Leader for Persons with Disabilities |
The All Progressives Congress National Leader for Persons with Disabilities, Aare (Hon.) Tolu Bankole, has raised concerns over the way disability figures in Nigeria’s voters’ register are being presented, saying the numbers do not represent the full population of Persons with Disabilities registered to vote.
Bankole, in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, said the widely reported figure of 137,487 PWDs captured by the Independent National Electoral Commission should not be interpreted as the total number of registered voters with disabilities in the country.
The figure comprises 13,080 visually impaired persons, 9,299 hearing-impaired persons, 30,561 persons with albinism, 19,430 persons with physical impairments and 54,941 persons classified under other disability categories.
According to Bankole, the data largely reflects voters whose disability status was captured after INEC introduced a dedicated disability field into its Continuous Voter Registration process.
He argued that PWDs who registered during earlier voter registration exercises may already be on the voters’ register but without a disability status attached to their records.
“ You cannot count what you never measured,” Bankole said, stressing that the absence of disability information from earlier registration exercises means the current figures cannot provide a complete historical picture of PWD voters.
He noted that Nigeria’s voter registration system has undergone several technological changes over the years, from manual registration and paper-based records to biometric registration and the current digital registration system.
Bankole said systematic collection of disability status as a distinct field became part of the modern registration process from the 2021 Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
He, however, said the problem of undercounting could extend even to more recent registrations, as some PWDs may have registered without identifying themselves as persons with disabilities.
He attributed this to factors including inadequate awareness about the purpose of the disability field, concerns about stigma, ignorance of the importance of the information and the decision by some registrants not to disclose their disability status.
The APC disability leader said inaccurate disability data could have practical consequences for electoral inclusion, particularly in planning for accessible polling units, deployment of assistive devices and other measures required to support PWD voters.
He therefore called on INEC to clearly state the period and methodology covered whenever it publishes figures on PWD voters.
Bankole also urged the commission to intensify sensitisation among PWDs during voter registration and updating exercises, particularly on the importance of accurately indicating disability status.
He called for the exploration of mechanisms, within legal and privacy safeguards, to improve historical visibility of PWDs already contained in the voters’ register but whose disability status was not previously captured.
He also welcomed INEC’s continued engagement with the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities and other Organisations of Persons with Disabilities ahead of the 2027 elections.
Bankole said better disability-disaggregated electoral data would help stakeholders understand the size and needs of the PWD electorate and improve planning for more accessible elections.
He maintained that Persons with Disabilities should be fully reflected in electoral data, planning and public discourse, stressing that accurate information was fundamental to meaningful political participation and inclusion.