As the general elections draws closer, the Nigeria Police Force has pledged to comply with its standard operating procedures and strengthen disability-inclusive election security protocols to protect no fewer than 232,000 registered voters with disabilities against intimidation, harassment and discrimination.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, gave the assurance at a high-level technical engagement on disability-inclusive election security and protection protocols in Abuja on Friday, where stakeholders called for practical measures to guarantee the safety, dignity and electoral rights of persons with disabilities.

The engagement was organised by TAF Africa under Component 5B of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Phase II programme, which seeks to strengthen the political and electoral participation of persons with disabilities.

The national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, who reechoed the IGP’s position, stressed that the credibility of elections depended not only on the voting process but also on whether every eligible citizen could participate freely, safely and without discrimination.

At the engagement, the IGP, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Isyaku Mohammed, explained that the 27 police officers selected for the programme would help drive the review of existing procedures and promote compliance with the proposed protection measures across their respective commands and formations.

The IGP remarked that the officers were expected to take the outcome of the engagement back to their commands to strengthen protection for persons with disabilities and promote safe, unhindered access to polling units, assuring that the police were moving away from rigid, traditional security models towards a more professional, human rights-based and citizen-centred approach to policing.

According to him, elections can only be successful when every eligible citizen, regardless of physical ability, can exercise the right to vote safely and with dignity.

He said the responsibility of the police extended beyond maintaining law and order to ensuring that eligible voters could participate in the democratic process without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

Disu described disability inclusion as both a constitutional right and a professional obligation, stressing that protecting voters with disabilities, preventing intimidation and ensuring access to polling units must be treated as core policing responsibilities rather than an afterthought.

Disu said the police leadership recognised that voters with disabilities could face additional barriers during electoral activities and that security personnel needed to understand their specific circumstances when planning and executing election security operations.

The police chief also pledged to strengthen communication between police personnel and the disability community to improve the handling of electoral security incidents involving persons with disabilities.

He added that reviewing existing procedures would provide an opportunity to identify gaps in the handling of electoral security incidents and strengthen the capacity of officers to respond appropriately to the needs of vulnerable voters.

He said a professional and citizen-centred approach to election security required officers to understand the specific needs of persons with disabilities and respond without compromising their dignity, independence or privacy.

Amupitan disclosed that INEC had identified about 232,000 registered voters with disabilities, representing approximately 0.23 per cent of the voter register, with its records covering 10 disability categories.

He said the figures underscored the need for sustained efforts to improve the identification and participation of voters with disabilities, adding that an election could not be considered inclusive if vulnerable groups faced intimidation, insecurity or barriers that prevented them from exercising their democratic rights.

The INEC chief said the commission had introduced online voter registration as part of efforts to improve accessibility, while its regulations and guidelines provided for priority access, appropriate assistance and assistive voting materials for persons with disabilities.

He, however, acknowledged that translating legal provisions into practical protection remained a challenge, stressing that electoral inclusion required more than the existence of laws and policies.

Amupitan said security agencies needed to recognise the different needs of voters with disabilities when planning and executing election security operations, noting that uniform security arrangements might not adequately address the challenges faced by all voters.

He said the protection of vulnerable voters must be considered an essential part of credible elections, requiring coordinated action by electoral authorities, security institutions and disability rights organisations.

The chairman cited the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act and the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act as part of the legal framework underpinning the political and electoral rights of persons with disabilities.

He said the police had a critical responsibility to maintain law and order, protect lives and property, prevent electoral violence and create a secure environment in which persons with disabilities could exercise their voting rights without hindrance.

Amupitan urged security personnel to respect the independence, dignity and privacy of voters with disabilities when providing assistance.

He explained that voters with hearing impairment might require visual communication, while persons with visual impairment might need verbal guidance. Those with limited mobility, he added, required unobstructed access to polling units and voting areas.

He said disability inclusion should be incorporated into security assessments, personnel training, deployment briefings and responses to electoral incidents well before election day.

The INEC chief identified key priorities for the 2027 elections as the adoption and implementation of clear disability-inclusive election security protocols, enhanced police training on disability rights and accessible communication, effective coordination among INEC and security agencies, accessible reporting channels and prompt responses to incidents.

He also called for sustained engagement with organisations of persons with disabilities to ensure that their experiences and concerns informed election security planning.

Amupitan disclosed that INEC would work with the police and other security agencies to convene another security summit to strengthen preparations for the elections.

He said the commission would collaborate with TAF Africa, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, development partners and disability rights organisations to ensure that the outcome of the engagement translated into measurable improvements.

Amupitan stressed that the protection of voters must extend beyond election day to cover voter registration, political campaigns, rallies, voting, collation and the post-election period.

Earlier, the Chairman of TAF Africa’s Board, Prof. Vincent Anibogu, said persons with disabilities continued to face intimidation, harassment, discrimination, inaccessible communication and inadequate assistance during electoral activities.

He also highlighted the challenges confronting internally displaced persons, including insecurity, restrictions arising from displacement and limited access to electoral information.

Anibogu said persons with disabilities who were also internally displaced faced multiple barriers that increased their vulnerability during elections.

He urged the police to adopt a proactive, professional and human rights-based approach that took these vulnerabilities into account in security planning and operations.

He described the engagement as an opportunity to identify operational gaps and develop practical measures for incorporating disability-inclusive and displacement-sensitive approaches into police policies, standard operating procedures, training and deployment arrangements.

Anibogu said the participation of security institutions was essential to ensuring that the protection needs of persons with disabilities and internally displaced voters were adequately reflected in election security planning.

In his remarks, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignon, said protecting persons with disabilities during elections was a matter of equality, human dignity and fundamental rights rather than a question of accessibility alone.

He commended TAF Africa for its advocacy and reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to supporting democratic governance, inclusive political participation and stronger institutions in Nigeria.

Mignon said police officers were often among the first officials voters encountered when security concerns arose at polling units and other locations associated with electoral activities.

Their preparedness and conduct, he said, could determine whether persons with disabilities felt sufficiently protected to exercise their democratic rights.

He urged the police to move beyond general commitments by integrating disability-inclusive provisions into operational plans, training curricula, deployment instructions, supervisory arrangements and procedures for reporting electoral security incidents.

The ambassador also called for designated institutional focal persons, effective monitoring mechanisms and stronger coordination between security agencies, INEC and organisations representing persons with disabilities.

He stressed that the protection of voters with disabilities was not a favour or special privilege but an essential expression of equal rights, human dignity and the rule of law.

Mignon urged security institutions to sustain their collaboration with disability rights organisations to ensure that the guidelines adopted were translated into practical measures ahead of the 2027 elections.

TAF Africa founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jake Epelle, commended the INEC chairman, the European Union and the police leadership for supporting efforts to make elections more inclusive.

Epelle said the participation of senior officials demonstrated growing recognition of the need to address barriers confronting persons with disabilities in Nigeria’s electoral system.
He particularly commended Amupitan for personally attending the engagement, describing his presence as evidence of a commitment to credible and inclusive elections.

He also praised the EU ambassador for honouring his commitment to participate in the programme and commended the police leadership for supporting the initiative despite competing official engagements.

TAF Africa has consistently advocated greater participation of persons with disabilities in Nigeria’s political and electoral processes, including removing barriers that limit their access to voting and other forms of democratic participation.

The engagement is expected to strengthen cooperation among electoral authorities, security institutions and disability rights organisations as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.