PWDs lament late arrival of voting materials

Persons with Disabilities have lamented the late arrival of voting materials for the ongoing local government election at the various polling units in Asaba, Delta State.

The Oshimili South Chairman, PWD, Mr Steven Ofoeli, said his members come to exercise their rights but are yet to see materials.

He said, “We have been here as we were educated by TAF Africa to exercise our rights, materials have not come to our polling unit at the summit road as at 11 am. Maybe because of the early morning rain.”

However, a Non-Governmental Organisation, TAF Africa said it deployed 75 observers to monitor Local Government elections.

The Founder of TAF Africa, Mr Jake Epelle, stated that the observers are currently deployed to the 25 local government areas of the state.

He said, “Our team is committed to meticulously monitoring the election, with a primary focus on how it affects the disability community. We aim to assess the accessibility of polling stations, the implementation of assisted voting, and the overall experience of voters with disabilities.

“We deployed 75 trained observers across the 25 Local Government Areas in Delta state, ensuring comprehensive coverage of three observers per local government area.

“Our work extends beyond mere observation; we actively engage with stakeholders, educate voters with disabilities about their rights, and advocate for positive changes to enhance the inclusivity of the electoral and political process.”

Epelle urged PWDs to exercise their rights to vote and participate actively in the electoral process, calling on them to report any issues or challenges faced at the polling units.

Also, the TAF Programme Manager, Adeolu Kilanko added that in its commitment to leverage technology and data-driven approaches for election observation, the organisation has significantly upgraded their election observer App.

He noted that the innovative tool will empower its observers to transmit information swiftly and efficiently in real-time to its election hub.

Meanwhile, when our correspondent visited the Uzoigwe RAC centre (DISEC wards 11 and 20), observed that the voting materials arrived at about 10:30 am for onward distribution to polling units.