How People Living With Disabilities Will Vote, by Yakubu
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu has assured people living with disabilities (PLWDs) and other special people like Albinos that the Commission...
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu has assured people living with disabilities (PLWDs) and other special people like Albinos that the Commission will provide all the necessary aides to facilitate easy voting in the 2019 general elections. “We are also creating a separate line for them and have instructed our officers to ensure that they vote without any stress,” he said.
Speaking on the popular Brekete Show, aired on Human Rights Radio (101.1 F.M), Abuja, Yakubu said the Commission has undertaken innovations to ensure there is an inclusive election.
Revealing that INEC has had series of engagement with different groups of PLWDs on this matter, he said the ”Albinos came to INEC and complained that in the midday because of the sun, they don’t see well, so they are not able to identify logos of parties on the ballot paper.”
“So in the Anambra election, through Ekiti and Osun elections, we produced magnifying glasses so every polling unit had magnifying glasses to help them to vote.”
”For the blind, we introduced Braille jackets. Braille jackets will enable blind people who have gone to special schools to read unaided. The same ballot papers everyone gets on election days, they will just touch the acronyms of the political parties. We have created a perforation by the corner. They will thumb print in the right box and remove ballot paper from the Braille jackets and drop it into the box.”
“For those who can’t read, we have asked them to come with a trusted person to help them to vote. The Idea is to allow citizens to vote unaided.”
“The deaf approached INEC and complained. They can see but can’t hear. We have designed a special poster for them to enable step-by-step voting.”
He however said people who are sick in the hospital will not get a chance to vote because of their state of health and revealed that there will be no voting in absentia.
”People on the hospital bed cannot go to polling units and unfortunately cannot vote in absentia,” he noted.
The INEC chairman also said prisoners will not vote in the 2019 elections due to some challenges encountered by the commission.
Yakubu however said that mechanisms are being perfected to ensure that every class of Nigerians, prisoners inclusive, vote in the 2023 elections.
”Actually, we don’t need any legal amendments to allow prison inmates to vote in Nigeria. There was a recent judgement by the Court of Appeal, Benin Division which has now ordered the commission to ensure that prisoners vote. Only yesterday, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Prisons Service worked on the details with us on how these things can be arranged.”
“We have over 100 prisons and correctional facilities in Nigeria. He has given us the number of inmates. Majority of them are awaiting trials while some of them are convicts. How then do we work out the details in such a way that parties can be allowed to campaign in prisons? Will that be allowed? And then the media and civil societies will be allowed to go inside the prison to ensure that only genuine people vote.”
“We have to register and create a polling unit. These are details that will not happen unfortunately for the 2019 General Elections. But we are looking forward to the 2023 General elections. We are committed to prisoners voting and are committed to see every Nigerian having the opportunity to exercise his or her franchise,” he said.
The commission has also reiterated its commitment to ensure that votes count in the 2019 general elections.
Yakubu said INEC is not a political party and urged Nigerians to trust the commission as it is prepared “to deliver free, fair, peaceful and credible elections.” ”INEC is not a political party. We are responsible for the conduct of free, fair and credible elections,” he said.
”Have trust and confidence in INEC. Our loyalty is in the people of Nigeria and we will ensure that votes and votes only count. This is my assurance to Nigerians as we approach the 2019 elections. Nothing but votes will determine who wins the 2019 elections. I assure Nigerians again that our loyalty is to the people of Nigeria,” he concluded.
In a related development, INEC may disqualify 43 candidates for failing to meet the minimum age requirements specified in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) for candidates seeking elective offices.
The breakdown of the figure includes one presidential and three vice presidential candidates, as well as 14 senatorial and 25 House of Representatives candidates. Also, the candidacy of 102 others is being threatened for “undefined” identity.
They include 23 senatorial and 79 House of Representatives candidates. Yakubu, in the presentation he made at the Council of State meeting on Tuesday, said one of the 72 presidential candidates is less than 35 years of age, which is the minimum age allowed by the constitution.
According to him, three of the vice presidential candidates are less than 35 years while 14 senatorial and 25 House of Representatives candidates are less than 30 and 25 respectively, which is the minimum age recommended by the constitution for occupants of the positions.
He told the Council of State made up of the President, Vice President, past presidents, present and past Chief Justices of Nigeria (CJNs), Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and all state governors, that 17 presidential candidates are within the age bracket of between 35 and 45 years, while 27 are between 46 and 55 years, and 20 between 56 and 65 years. Seven candidates are also above 65 years.
For the vice presidential candidates, the INEC Chairman said 34 are between the age of 35 and 45; 19 between 46 and 55; 14 between 56 and 65, and two above 65 years. Yakubu also disclosed that 621 senatorial candidates are between 30 and 40 years, 527 between 41 and 50 while 497 are between 51 and 60.
He added that 222 are above 60 years old. He added that 1, 262 House of Representatives candidates are between 25 and 35 years; 1,603 between 36 and 45 years; 1, 524 between 46 and 60 years while 187 candidates are above 60 years of age.
Yakubu told the Council that: “The 2019 general elections will be the largest single-day peacetime logistics and security undertaking by the commission since 1999 with 84 million voters, 91 political parties, 23,213 candidates vying for 1,558 positions involving over 814,000 electoral officers.”
“INEC is fully aware of the enormity of conducting the 2019 general elections and will spare no effort safeguarding the integrity and credibility of our elections and consolidation of our democracy.”
Meanwhile, 11 school certificate holders are in the race against others with higher qualifications, for the nation’s number job, the presidency. INEC has cleared 72 candidates for the presidential election, which is fixed for February 16. Out of this number, 11 candidates said they have West African School Certificate (WASC) as their basic qualification, he stated.
Citing Chapter VI (139)(a-d) of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution (as amended) which deals with qualification for election, the INEC chairman says, “A person shall be qualified for election to the office of President if: – (a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth; (b) he has attained the age of 35 years; (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that party; and (d) he has been educated up to and possesses a minimum of Senior Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent.”
Aside Dr. Alex Ekweme (Vice President, 1979-1983), Ernest Shonekan (Interim Head of State, 1993), Goodluck Jonathan (President, 2010-2015) and Oluyemi Osinbajo (Vice President, 2015-2019), no other leader had a degree whilst in office.
According to the list released by the commission, 14 presidential candidates are PhD holders in various fields while 12 others have second degrees, including in law, business administration and in other disciplines.
The rest are first degree, diploma and Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) holders. One candidate, Obinna Uchechukwu Ikeagwu, presented First School Leaving Certificate (FLSC). It was gathered that apart from the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Muhammadu Buhari whose WAEC certificate had generated some controversies, Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), presented WAEC certificate. Sowore, publisher of online Newspaper, Sahara Reporters, was expelled twice from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) for student activism.
He studied Geography and Regional Planning between 1989 and 1995. The All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP) candidate, Chief Godwin Umenwa presented Senior School Certificate to INEC, so also Shipi Moses Godia, the presidential candidate of All Blending Party (ABP).
Others candidates who presented WAEC certificates are Abdulrashid Hassan Baba, Action Alliance (AA); Aba Lewis Elaigwu, Change Advocacy Party (CAP); Edozie Madu of Independent Democrat (ID); Chukwu-Eguzolugo of Justice Must Prevail Party (JMPP); Bashayi Isa Dansaraki of Mass Movement of Nigeria (MMN). Ahmed Buhari of the SMP is also among the lots.
Former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Mustafa who is the presidential candidate of Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) also presented a Senior Secondary Certificate (SSCE) to INEC.
Former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, the presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) and former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Obadiah Mailafia who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), are among the PhD holders in the race.
