2027: NSCDC pledges zero tolerance for harassment of voters with disabilities

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has declared zero tolerance for harassing, intimidating and obstructing voters with disabilities in preparation for the 2027 general elections. In a high-level technical meeting, NSCDC's Commandant-General, Prof Ahmed Abubakar Audi, urged security forces to treat voters with dignity and impartiality, offer priority assistance, and respond swiftly to any disability-related election incidents.

Audi emphasized that credible elections cannot be achieved if citizens with disabilities are prevented from voting, asserting that national security must safeguard human dignity and constitutional rights.

Prof Audi pledged that the NSCDC would bolster measures to prevent harassment and intimidation of disabled voters, enhance accessibility at polling stations, and improve reporting and coordination mechanisms for electoral incidents. He also called for stronger collaboration between NSCDC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), disability organizations, and other security agencies to develop practical, rights-based approaches to election security.

The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, urged NSCDC to convert disability-inclusive security guidelines into operational procedures, stressing that their effectiveness relies on security institutions embracing and integrating these provisions into their plans and training.

INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, emphasized that voters with disabilities and internally displaced persons continue to face barriers such as inaccessible election information, physical obstacles, communication difficulties, intimidation, and insufficient support. He stressed the necessity of disability inclusion in electoral planning, voter education, polling unit arrangements, security deployment, and emergency response procedures.

Amupitan stressed the need for coordination and monitoring to ensure that proposed measures translate into tangible improvements before the 2027 elections.