PWDs have numbers to determine Nigeria’s next president: Disabilities commission boss

Persons with disabilities will push to secure bigger reckoning with their numerical strength in the next political dispensation, James Lalu, head of Nigeria’s disability commission has said.

Mr Lalu said the disability community has the number to determine who will be the president of the country in the 2023 election.

To drive home the point, the National Commission for Person With Disabilities would meet with all the presidential candidates of the different political parties to showcase their numerical strength.

“We are working with INEC to get PWDs data with voter’s cards,” he said. “We can use our numerical strength to negotiate for ministerial and ambassadorial positions for PWD in the country.

On Thursday, the NCPWD hosted a stakeholders’ forum on Disability Inclusion Project.

Giving his remarks at the occasion, Mr Lalu said it was regrettable that many states in the country had failed to domesticate the Disability Prohibition Act, adding that the commission was up and doing on the issue.

He said that the commission had met with some states governments on the issue and was going to do more.

“Very soon, we will meet with the governors of Borno, Katsina, Kebbi and Gombe and will do everything possible to be able to actualise the dream,” he said.