The Society for People with Disability Forum in the North-West has pledged to mobilise five million votes for President Bola Tinubu and Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf in the 2027 general elections.

The forum announced its endorsement of the two leaders on Sunday during a sensitisation programme in Kano aimed at encouraging persons with disabilities to participate in the elections.

The forum’s National Chairman, Yarima Suleiman, said the endorsement was based on what the group described as the contributions of the All Progressives Congress-led governments to the welfare of persons with disabilities.

“As a forum, we are committed to mobilising five million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in the 2027 general elections.

“Today, we call our people with disabilities from 19 states, including Abuja, to show our interest in voting for President Bola Tinubu for a second term, for what the APC has done for us,” Suleiman said.

He cited the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and the appointment of a Senior Special Assistant to the President on disability matters as some of the initiatives the group considered significant.

Suleiman said the forum expected greater representation in government if Tinubu won re-election in 2027.

“I am assuring you that if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wins the 2027 election, we are going to get more appointments in the Federal Government,” he said.

He added that the group was seeking the implementation of a five per cent appointment allocation for persons with disabilities across ministries, departments and agencies.

The chairman also claimed that the forum had reached an agreement with Yusuf on appointments in Kano State in exchange for its support for his re-election bid.

The forum’s state chairman, Sa’adu Ibrahim, said members had benefited from welfare programmes introduced by the Federal and state governments under the APC.

He urged persons with disabilities to participate actively in the 2027 elections, saying the group intended to reciprocate what it described as government support by voting for APC candidates at both levels.

In his remarks, Yusuf reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to disability inclusion. He was represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and People with Special Needs, Hajiya Amina Sani-Abdullahi.

The governor said his administration had introduced practical interventions to improve the lives of persons with disabilities, including providing wheelchairs to people with spinal cord injuries and promoting para-sports.

“We have provided wheelchairs to spinal cord injury patients, restoring mobility, independence and dignity,” he said.

He added that para-sports activities had created opportunities for persons with disabilities to showcase their talents, build confidence and participate in recreational and competitive sports.

“Persons with disabilities should not be treated merely as beneficiaries of government policies but recognised as active contributors to the state’s development,” he added.

The forum’s endorsement comes as political mobilisation gathers momentum ahead of the 2027 elections. Its pledge to mobilise five million votes represents the group’s stated target, rather than a verified estimate of its membership or voting strength.

Source: punchng.com

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has debunked a fraudulent online publication claiming to be a special announcement by the commission on governorship candidates in six states.

The commission identified the affected states as Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano.

INEC disclosed this in a public notice issued on Monday and shared across its official social media platforms.

“The Commission wishes to categorically inform the general public that the publication is FAKE and did not originate from INEC,” the statement read.

The electoral body urged members of the public to disregard the publication and refrain from sharing it.

It also advised Nigerians to rely on its official notices, press releases and other information published through its verified communication channels.

“The Commission further wishes to clarify that any information suggesting that INEC has issued a special announcement concerning governorship candidates in the aforementioned states is false,” it added.

INEC urged the public to remain vigilant and verify electoral information through its official channels to avoid being misled by fraudulent publications.

The commission listed its website as inecnigeria.org, its X and Instagram handles as @inecnigeria, its Facebook page as INEC Nigeria and its news portal as inecnews.com.

For enquiries and further clarification, INEC provided its call centre number as 0700-2255-4632, short code 4632, telephone numbers 090844444333 and 09050858629, and email address iccc@inec.gov.ng.

The commission reiterated its commitment to “keeping the public accurately informed and urged Nigerians to obtain electoral information only through its official communication channels.”

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission to disclose the companies contracted to produce sensitive materials for the 2027 general elections, warning that secrecy surrounding ballot printing and key personnel appointments could undermine public confidence in the polls.

His query came as the African Democratic Congress also raised concerns over alleged ethnic bias in recent personnel postings and redeployments by INEC, demanding an explanation from the electoral body ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The electoral body has fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections and February 6, 2027, for the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.

Atiku, through a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, specifically asked INEC to confirm or deny reports that Hitech or a company associated with it had secured a contract to print sensitive materials for the 2027 elections.

Atiku said information available to him suggested that more than half of INEC’s sensitive election materials, including presidential ballot materials, might have been allocated to a company believed to be based in France, whose identity and credentials had not been publicly disclosed.

He also expressed concern over reports that the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc might be responsible for printing election materials for only 15 to 17 states, with private companies handling the remainder.

“These reports demand urgent and unequivocal answers. INEC must confirm or deny them and publish the names of every company engaged, the materials and states assigned to each, the procurement method, the security clearances obtained and the safeguards governing production, storage and delivery.

“Nigerians should not have to depend on unnamed sources to discover who is producing their ballots,” he said.

The former vice-president linked the controversy to broader concerns about the independence of electoral institutions under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He argued that the government’s handling of major contracts and the reported changes within INEC could fuel suspicions of political interference if the commission failed to provide satisfactory explanations.

Atiku also questioned the possibility of Hitech or an associated company securing a contract to produce sensitive election materials, citing publicly reported business ties between the Chagoury family, which owns Hitech, and the Tinubu family.

“The integrity of INEC in the forthcoming election will be seriously compromised if Hitech or a company associated with it is awarded a contract to produce sensitive election materials,” he said.

He urged the commission to disclose the identities of the companies awarded the contracts, particularly if the printing was not being handled by NSPMC.

Atiku called for greater reliance on qualified domestic security-printing capacity, arguing that every ballot paper, result sheet and other sensitive election document must be accounted for through a transparent chain of custody.

He extended his concerns to the printing of higher-denomination banknotes by foreign companies, urging the Central Bank of Nigeria to disclose its current printing arrangements and clarify the roles of NSPMC and any foreign contractors.

Atiku also raised concerns about recent personnel changes within the electoral commission, particularly in departments responsible for election administration and technology.

The statement cited reports that Isa Magaji Gum had been moved from Electoral Operations to the Voter Registry Department, while Mrs Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi had been appointed to head Electoral Operations. Dr Lawrence Bayode was also identified as the head of Information and Communication Technology.

Atiku said INEC should explain the circumstances surrounding the changes and demonstrate that the decisions were based on merit and due process, without political interference.

“These departments are at the heart of election administration. INEC must explain these decisions, publish the criteria applied and show that every appointment and redeployment followed due process, was based on merit and was free from political interference. Nigerians will not accept vague assurances on matters this serious,” he said.

He, however, cautioned against presuming that any official was compromised because of ethnicity, background or personal associations, insisting that the commission had a responsibility to address legitimate concerns through verifiable disclosures.

Similarly, the ADC alleged that some officers from northern states serving in sensitive departments, including Electoral Operations and Information and Communication Technology, had been transferred to other departments and replaced by officials from Lagos and other South-West states.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said it had received intelligence and direct complaints about the changes, warning that the pattern could raise questions about INEC’s neutrality if not properly explained.

The party, however, did not present the names of the affected officers or documentary evidence to substantiate its allegations in the statement.

“We have specific names of officers moved from Electoral Operations and ICT in a number of northern states and replaced with officers from Lagos and other South-West states. INEC may dismiss this as routine. But we have noticed a pattern, especially along ethnic lines, and we are concerned,” the statement read.

The ADC said it was not yet accusing the commission of any nefarious motive but insisted that allegations capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process should not be dismissed as routine administrative decisions.

“Regardless of the commission’s motives, questions about regional concentration in sensitive departments cannot be brushed aside as routine administrative matters,” the party said.

It added that any personnel arrangement suggesting ethnic or sectional preference in strategic operational positions could fuel suspicions that the electoral process was being tilted in favour of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The party urged INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), to publish details of the recent postings, the criteria used in selecting officers for the positions and the reasons behind the changes.

According to the ADC, such disclosure would help reassure Nigerians across the country that electoral officials would perform their duties impartially, irrespective of their ethnic, linguistic or regional backgrounds.

The party warned that failure to address the allegations could have serious consequences for the credibility of the 2027 elections.

“Allowing such allegations to go without a serious, evidence-based rebuttal could have serious implications for the integrity of the elections,” it said.

The controversy comes as political parties begin preparations for the 2027 general elections, with INEC expected to play a central role in conducting the polls and ensuring that the votes of Nigerians are accurately reflected in the outcome.

Source: punchng.com

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