By The Metro 
The National Prayer Support Group for Good Governance (NPSGGG) has demanded a one-week special extension of voter registration exclusively for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).
The demand was contained in a statement signed by the National Coordinator, PWDs, NPSGGG, Hon. Emmanuel Aduku, on Wednesday, following the release of the latest voter registration figures by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
NPSGGG expressed “total displeasure and disappointment” over the figures, saying, “Out of a total of over 103 million captured Nigerian voters, only 232,658 are Persons With Disabilities (PWDs)!”
The group described the figure as “statistically and morally unacceptable”, noting that Nigeria has an estimated 30-35 million PWDs.
“This means less than 1% of PWDs have been captured. We cannot claim to be practicing inclusive democracy with this outcome,” the statement read.
NPSGGG said INEC “must and should do better”, urging the commission to “go beyond rhetoric and put in place special facilities to encourage PWDs participation.”
Among the measures proposed were “mobility support and priority access at registration centers”, taking registration directly to “schools for the deaf, the blind, and other special clusters” and “a door-to-door registration exercise driven by a credible database and coordinated meeting centers.”
NPSGGG also stressed that PWDs should not be treated as beneficiaries of charity but should be granted equal opportunities and their constitutional rights to participate in choosing their leaders.
“We must not turn Persons With Disabilities into a charity model. What they need is not pity, but the granting of their undeniable equal opportunities and constitutional rights to participate in choosing their leaders,” the group said.
The group further disclosed that it has over 1,700 registered PWD members and urged political support groups nationwide, regardless of party affiliation, to collectively mobilise at least one million PWD voters.
“If the NPSGGG alone has over 1,700 registered PWD members, then all political support groups nationwide, regardless of party affiliation, should collectively be able to mobilize at least 1 Million PWD voters,” the statement said.
NPSGGG also apportioned part of the blame to the leadership of PWDs for inadequate mobilisation while urging PWDs themselves to take a more active role in the electoral process.
“While we apportion part of the blame to the leadership of PWDs for inadequate mobilization, the PWDs themselves must also rise to the occasion. The time has come to understand that democracy rewards participation, not indifference while sitting at home,” the group said.
NPSGGG therefore recommended “a one-week special extension of voter registration exclusively for PWDs, with all the necessary support measures put in place.”
“Equal rights, not charity,” NPSGGG said.