The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II) Programme has released its post-election observation report on the participation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the recently concluded 2025 Anambra State Governorship Election, stating that the provision of assistive devices to aid PWDs in casting their votes was significantly low.
According to the findings, the continued exclusion of voters with disabilities—caused by inadequate assistive materials, weak training of officials, and cases of undue influence—requires urgent and sustained attention.
The report, presented by TAF Africa, one of EU-SDGN’s implementing partners, advocates for the political participation of PWDs and promotes inclusive democratic processes in Nigeria. TAF Africa observed the election through the deployment of 150 trained citizens and roving media observers, as well as 25 trained sign language interpreters across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
Observation was coordinated via the TAF Disability Hub Application, a central data-driven monitoring system designed to track accessibility, assistive tools, and voter experiences of PWDs in real time.
The release, signed by Dr Amina Bala Zakari, Chair of the TAF Africa PWD Election Hub, and Amb. Jake Epelle, CEO/Founder of TAF Africa, noted that while the election was largely peaceful, with minimal cases of violence or disruption, data revealed persistent structural and operational gaps in inclusivity.
The statement reads:
“Data transmitted from our observers via the TAF Disability Hub Application showed that INEC officials arrived on time at about 62% of the polling units observed, while voting commenced promptly in 67.6% of those locations. Security personnel were present in 35.2% of the polling units, contributing to a largely peaceful environment in 99.3% of the areas monitored.”
“The provision of assistive devices was, however, significantly low at 32%, even though 89.4% of polling units were physically accessible to voters with disabilities. Priority voting was granted in 74.8% of cases, while 35.2% of polling stations had PWDs serving as INEC ad hoc staff.”
“Encouragingly, 68.3% of the electorate demonstrated a positive attitude towards PWDs during the process. Nonetheless, 5.8% of PWD voters were unable to vote due to accessibility barriers, procedural lapses, or inadequate assistive support.”
The post-election report urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen disability data validation by periodically updating and verifying disability-disaggregated voter data to ensure accurate deployment of assistive tools and materials.
It also advised INEC to improve logistics and the deployment of assistive devices to ensure that magnifying glasses, braille ballot guides, and other tools reach polling units where they are needed, and to enforce sanctions for non-compliance by supervisors and presiding officers who neglect inclusion protocols.
To Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the media, the report called for sustained advocacy and voter education targeting both PWDs and the general electorate on the importance of inclusive participation and accessible voting environments.
While calling for strengthened media monitoring and public accountability to expose and deter voter manipulation or exploitation of PWDs, the report urged political parties to mainstream disability inclusion in party structures and campaign processes, ensuring accessibility during rallies and equitable representation of PWDs as candidates, party agents, and mobilisers.
TAF Africa commended INEC, security agencies, and other stakeholders for the largely peaceful conduct of the 2025 Anambra State Governorship Election, stating:
“As an implementing partner under the EU–SDGN II Programme, TAF Africa remains committed to promoting inclusive, credible, and accessible elections in Nigeria.”
