Abuja — ....we're prepared for 2027, says Prof Ajayi
AHEAD of the 2027 election including off-cycle elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, NWTF, and TAF Africa, Wednesday, partnered to build capacity of Gender/Disability focal officers from the North Central Zone of the country.
In an opening remark, the INEC National Commissioner, Prof Kunle Ajayi, explained that the essence of the 3-day training workshop of INEC's inclusivity officers was basically to keep them abreast with development in that gender and Persons With Disabilities, PWDs demographics in order to ensure they are part of the electoral process.
According to Ajayi, democracy is not just about votes cast, but about voices heard while he declared the training workshop open, which he urged the participants to embrace the training with openness, curiosity, and a sense of responsibility, saying the work ahead is significant but so is the impact it can make.
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He also said with the training and retraining put together INEC is very prepared and ready for the 2027 general elections and any off-circle elections in the country.
Meanwhile, the training was funded by the European Union, EU, which had participants from states within the North Central Region, and it would be conducted in all the geopolitical zones in the country.
He said: "The voices of all citizens, regardless of gender, ability, or social standing.
"True representation demands intentional efforts. It calls on us to recognize the structural challenges that have once excluded too many, and to actively dismantle those barriers.
"In the presence of each of you, our Gender and Disability Desk Officers signals a deepening of that commitment. You are not merely participants in this way, you are the agents of transformation at the heart of INEC's mandate to foster inclusion.
"Your roles bridge policy with practice, turning institutional ideas into realities in the electoral process. This training is designed to sharpen your insights, deepen your understanding, and empower you with the practical tools necessary to ensure no citizen is left behind.
"Over the next few days, you will engage with fresh perspectives, hands-on strategies, and tested approaches to inclusive electoral participation. You will also share experiences, learn from one another, and return to your stations with renewed confidence and clarity.
"We are proud to be working alongside partners such as the Nigerian Women's Trust Fund, TAF Africa, and the European Union, organizations that have trained with us in advancing a democratic process that treats all citizens equally.
"Together, we are shaping a future in which elections are not only free and fair, but fully inclusive, and that future begins with strong, capable officers who understand that equity is not in luxury but in necessity."
Meanwhile, he maintained that, "INEC is an inclusive organization, it embraces everybody in the society because the right to choose our leaders lies with everybody.
"So, we are not going to exclude anybody on the basis of sex or social standing or whatever. So all genders, male and female, all adult as long as you are 18 years and above we include you, all able-bodied persons and PWDs, everybody will be brought on board to ensure a participatory democracy.
"Democracy is not by voting alone it also includes hearing your voices, in fact, we want to hear the voices of everybody both old and young male and female, abled and disabled, and that is why we have trained our desk officers to project this policy of INEC, to be able to allocate, advertise it beyond the offices."
However, he debunked allegations against the Commission on lack of provision and access to assistive devices for Persons With Disabilities, PWDs, as he explained that all they needed were imported and provided based on the Polling Units, PUs, that had registered such but not in all the PUs across the country.
"There shouldn't be any complaint on how we manage people with disability. There is a separate department for inclusivity in INEC. Fortunately, I am the Chairman of the Committee managing that particular desk.
"We provided assistive devices as commandeered by the constitution of Nigeria and by the Electoral Law of 2022. It specified that all necessary equipment or devices must be provided for everybody that has a disability.
"For the blind, we provided braille ballot, braille ballot, for the albinos, we provided magnifying glass, a magnifying glass, if I tell you how much, it's not just ordinary magnifying glass, specifically for them, imported, if I tell you the price, you won't believe.
"Then, we provided, like, posters for the deaf and all, people that cannot talk, but they can read, that even without reading, you see the pictures, you know what we are saying", he said.
Meanwhile, in her address of welcome, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Nigerian Women's Trust Fund, NWTF, Brenda Anugwom, pointed out that, "The modules were developed with INEC but Nigeria Women Trust Fund and TAF Africa, and another CSO that focuses on the rights of persons with disabilities.
"So I am so glad to have everybody here in the room. The materials were developed in order to reflect the commitment to creating standardized and replicable resources that can support long-term institutional change within the electoral system.
"This training is not just a technical workshop it is an investment in building an inclusive electoral culture. It is also an opportunity for participants to reflect on their goals, exchange insights, and develop practical, context-driven solutions that will support more equitable representation."
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In a goodwill message, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, INEC, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mallam Aminu Idris who was represented by a senior officer, Samuel Johnson, asserted that, "The Commission has overtime, shown strong commitment to the possibility of access and participation of women, young Persons With Disabilities, and people with disabilities in the electoral process.
"Electoral inclusive matters had been mainstreamed into the Commission's programmes, includes training, as we have today, at all the safety sectors, to promote the disability awareness and informed participation of marginalized groups in the people -centred democratic enterprise which the electoral process represents.
"Electoral inclusivity drives, as best, is a work in process, with each points or coordinate along the journey providing an opportunity for critical assessment and re-calibration, hence, the relevance of this workshop.
"This workshop should provide a platform to evaluate the useability and efficacy of interventionist tools so far deployed on electoral inclusion to upscale participation of women and Persons With Disabilities in the electoral process."
