South-South APC Stakeholders Summit: Persons with Disabilities Declare Support for Asiwaju, Demand Inclusive Governance

The All Progressives Congress (APC) South-South Stakeholders Summit, held under the theme “Renewed Hope in Action: Strengthening APC Mobilisation and Governance in the South-South,” brought together key voices in the party to strategize and reaffirm commitment to progressive governance and mass mobilization in the region. However, amidst the enthusiastic gathering, one voice stood out — that of persons with disabilities (PWDs), who have long remained marginalized within the region and across national development efforts.

As committed stakeholders in the Nigerian project, persons with disabilities from the South-South zone are ready and determined to go all out in support of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu come 2027. We recognize his political dexterity, statistical acumen, and capacity for uncommon performance — qualities that have earned him the title “Asiwaju of Africa.” However, while we stand with Mr. President, we must also speak out on the urgent need to ensure that the renewed hope agenda truly includes everyone, especially the over 35.5 million Nigerians with disabilities.

We particularly call on President Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency, appoint persons with disabilities into regional development commissions across the country, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and similar South-South initiatives where PWDs have been historically and systemically excluded. These appointments are not acts of pity or favour — they are a constitutional and human rights obligation rooted in justice, equity, and the global commitment to disability-inclusive governance.

It is time to discard the outdated charity and medical models that continue to reduce persons with disabilities to objects of sympathy. Mr. President must adopt a paradigm shift rooted in the social and human rights model of disability, as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Article 4 of the Convention, which Nigeria signed on the 30^th March 2007 and ratified on the 24^th September 2010.

Article 4 of the General Obligations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) mandated that: 

States Parties undertake to ensure and promote the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all persons with disabilities without discrimination of any kind on the basis of disability. To this end, States Parties undertake:

a) To adopt all appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures for the implementation of the rights recognized in the present Convention;

b) To take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to modify or abolish existing laws, regulations, customs and practices that constitute discrimination against persons with disabilities;

c) To take into account the protection and promotion of the human rights of persons with disabilities in all policies and programs;

d) To refrain from engaging in any act or practice that is inconsistent with the present Convention and to ensure that public authorities and institutions act in conformity with the present Convention;

e) To take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability by any person, organization or private enterprise;

f) To undertake or promote research and development of universally designed goods, services, equipment and facilities, as defined in article 2 of the present Convention, which should require the minimum possible adaptation and the least cost to meet the specific needs of a person with disabilities, to promote their availability and use, and to promote universal design in the development of standards and guidelines;

g) To undertake or promote research and development of, and to promote the availability and use of new technologies, including information and communications technologies, mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies, suitable for persons with disabilities, giving priority to technologies at an affordable cost;

h) To provide accessible information to persons with disabilities about mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies, including new technologies, as well as other forms of assistance, support services and facilities;

i) To promote the training of professionals and staff working with persons with disabilities in the rights recognized in the present Convention so as to better provide the assistance and services guaranteed by those rights.

1. With regard to economic, social and cultural rights, each State Party undertakes to take measures to the maximum of its available resources and, where needed, within the framework of international cooperation, with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of these rights, without prejudice to those obligations contained in the present Convention that are immediately applicable according to international law.
2. In the development and implementation of legislation and policies to implement the present Convention, and in other decision-making processes concerning issues relating to persons with disabilities, States Parties shall closely consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, through their representative organizations.
3. Nothing in the present Convention shall affect any provisions which are more conducive to the realization of the rights of persons with disabilities and which may be contained in the law of a State Party or international law in force for that State. There shall be no restriction upon or derogation from any of the human rights and fundamental freedoms recognized or existing in any State Party to the present Convention pursuant to law, conventions, regulation or custom on the pretext that the present Convention does not recognize such rights or freedoms or that it recognizes them to a lesser extent.
4. The provisions of the present Convention shall extend to all parts of federal States without any limitations or exceptions.

We must no longer be treated as passive recipients of government handouts. Rather, we are active citizens, capable of contributing to policy, governance, and nation-building — if given the chance. It’s been 15 years since Nigeria ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and to date, there has been selective implementation.

The need for inclusion is further highlighted by the discouraging statistics from the 2023 general elections, where only 85,362 persons with disabilities voted nationwide out of a population of over 40 million Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria, representing a mere 0.21%. From the South-South region of Nigeria, only 11,628 voted, during the 2023 election, representing Akwa Ibom -1,202, Bayelsa -880, Cross River -934, Delta -3,380, Edo-3,179, and Rivers-2,053 — a stark reminder of the systemic barriers, disenfranchisement, and lack of political will to carry everyone along. In a nation abundantly blessed with natural and human resources, this figure is not just disappointing — it is unacceptable. It reflects how disconnected national politics has remained from the real needs of vulnerable populations.

This trend can, and must, be reversed if President Tinubu is truly committed to building a Nigeria that works for all. Inclusive governance is not a slogan — it is a deliberate policy decision that ensures equity and representation.

We are aware of the ongoing political coalitions and alignments, and we are following our state governors closely. Persons with disabilities across the South-South are putting on their thinking caps and rising to the occasion. We are organizing, sensitizing, and mobilizing our communities to ensure that our voices are heard — and that we deliver en bloc for the APC and Asiwaju in 2027.

But this support must be mutual. Our loyalty must not be met with silence. Our dedication must be acknowledged with inclusion. Our struggles must be transformed into policy.

Asiwaju represents hope for millions — including the most marginalized. Let us build a truly renewed nation together — one where no one, regardless of ability, is left behind.

Long live the APC.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Long live inclusive democracy.

Job Napoleon Agbor ACFE

A committed APC member with Disability

A university Academic Don

Convener of the Pioneers of Nigeria’s National and International Disability Civil Rights Movement and Policy Change Advocates

Editor in Chief: APC Voice of the Voiceless for PWDs

On behalf of:

Concerned APC Members with Disabilities

Voice for Inclusive Democracy