Anambra Guber: Group Deploys 150 Observers for PWDs Voters Compliance in Anambra

By Our Reporter

TAF Africa, a Non Governmental Organisation, says it has deployed over 150 personnel for observation mission during the Anambra Governorship Election in order to provide an evidence-based evaluation of INEC’s compliance with the provisions of Section 54 (1 & 2) of the Electoral Act (2022).

In a Pre Election briefing in Awka , The Chief Executive Officer of TAF AFRICA, Jake Epelle noted that the Electoral Act mandates the use of assistive tools and inclusive measures for PWD Voters.

According to him, the exercise will generate valuable data to highlight existing gaps and successes in accessibility, assistive provisions, and voter experience for persons with disabilities.

He stated that beyond data collection, the monitoring effort emphasizes TAF Africa’s firm belief that inclusive elections are stronger, fairer, and more credible elections, because no democracy can truly thrive when over 30 million Nigerians with disabilities renmain on the margins of political life.

“Under Persons with Disabilities Election Hub (PWD Election Hub), TAF Africa has deployed a team of 150 trained observers cross the three senatorial districts of Anambra State”, Epelle said.

He explained that the observers are strategically placed in polling units with the highest number of registered PWD voters.

He noted that the deployment team consists of 134 stationary polling unit observers and 16 roving media observers who will monitor the availability of assistive tools such as:
Braille Ballot Guides for blind voters,
Magnifying Glasses for voters with albinism and Form EC 30E PWD for deaf voters.

“They will also observe the level of compliance with priority voting rights for persons with disabilities, accessibility of polling units, attitude of polling officials toward PWDs, communication experience of deaf voters, and the overall experience of voters with disabilities at the polls.

All observation efforts will be data-driven and technology-enabled. TAF Africa’s upgraded TAF Disability Hub mobile application has been redesigned to enhance user interface (U), user experience (UX), and functionality for improved performance, real-time reporting and data.

According to him, all TAF Africa’s interventions for the 2025 Anambra State Governorship Election, including the PWD Election Hub, the Third Eye, and the deployment of sign language interpreters, are made possible with funding support from the European Union through its European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II) Programme.