….Hope to have members in Senate, others elective position
From: Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja
People With Disabilities joined in counting the gains of democracy as Nigerians celebrate 2024 Democracy Day on Wednesday, 12 June 2024.
The group said Democracy has given voice and hope of a better life.
Mohammed Muss Zaria, National president, Northern Youth Disability Forum, PWD now has a say in governance as a result of democracy.
Zaria, who acknowledged that the turn of events began under the All Progressives Congress presidency, said their people now contribute to policies and programmes of government.
He also revealed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has also increased the budget of the PWD Commission by 500 percent.
He said the attention they enjoy now under democratic government was never the case under military government.
He said: “Our voice is heard and we are progressing.
“ Very soon you will see people in wheelchairs in the Senate.
“Very soon you will see people in wheelchairs in the House of Representatives.
“This coming election, we are prepared very well. we have a number that we can deliver.
“By God’s grace, our people are going to contest various political positions.
“So we’ll use this opportunity to mobilise our people to come out enmass and ensure that we contest to occupy various political positions.
“So honestly, our voice is heard under this democracy and we thank God for that.
He said, “Now, as I am talking to you, we have 774 APC disabled leaders across the 774 local governments of Nigeria.
“We have 36 APC disabled leaders, including FCT, as working committee members in APC across 36 states of the federation.
“We have a national APC disabled leader who happens to also be a national working committee member.
“There is no decision in this country that APC will make without the contribution of people living with disabilities.”
