By: Odeh Favour
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Society for People with Disability Forum in the North-West has declared its endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, pledging to deliver five million votes for both leaders.
The group announced the decision on Sunday during a sensitisation programme in Kano, designed to encourage persons with disabilities across the region to actively participate in the upcoming general elections.
Speaking at the event, the National Chairman of the forum, Yarima Suleiman, explained that the endorsement was in appreciation of the various welfare initiatives executed by the All Progressives Congress-led governments for 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,” Suleiman stated.
“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,” he added.
Suleiman pointed to key achievements, including 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 significant strides made by the administration.
He expressed optimism that persons with disabilities would secure greater representation in governance if President Tinubu wins 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,” Suleiman said.
He further disclosed that the forum is advocating for a five per cent appointment allocation for persons with disabilities across all federal ministries, departments, and agencies.
Also speaking, the Kano State Chairman of the forum, Sa’adu Ibrahim, noted that members have benefited substantially from federal and state government welfare interventions.
He stated that the forum had reached an agreement with Governor Yusuf on cabinet and political appointments in Kano State in exchange for their support in his re-election campaign.
Ibrahim urged all persons with disabilities to turn out in large numbers for the 2027 polls to reciprocate the government’s support by voting for APC candidates at both federal and state levels.
Reaffirming the Kano State Government’s commitment to disability inclusion, Governor Yusuf, represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and People with Special Needs, Hajiya Amina Sani-Abdullahi, highlighted ongoing state interventions.
He noted that his administration has introduced practical programmes to empower persons with disabilities, including distributing wheelchairs to spinal cord injury patients and promoting adaptive sports.
“We have provided wheelchairs to spinal cord injury patients, restoring mobility, independence and dignity,” the governor said.
He added that para-sports initiatives have given persons with special needs the platform to showcase their talents, build self-confidence, and compete at various sporting levels.
“Persons with disabilities should not be treated merely as beneficiaries of government policies but recognised as active contributors to the state’s development,” he emphasized.
The group’s pledge to mobilise five million votes represents its internal target as political alignment and early campaign mobilization gain momentum across the country ahead of the 2027 polls.
