About eight invited Anambra governorship candidates in the November 6 election have shun the invitation by the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWAD), Anambra state.
News Echo reports that the expecting parties included PDP, APC, APGA, ADC, ACCORD, LP, YPP, although representatives of two political parties were present.
The event which took place on Tuesday at the St. Mathew Church, Amawbia, Awka with the theme tagged “The interactive forum of gubernatorial candidates and persons with disabilities” had persons with disabilities feeling unhappy and disappointed.
JONAPWD Chairman Anambra state, Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke while speaking during his introductory address expressed disappointment that the party candidates did not honour their invitation.
“Over 400,000 persons with disabilities in Anambra state have decided that their votes must count in the forthcoming election and as a result looking for a candidate that has inclusive plan that will continue to see issues of persons with disabilities from the angle of rights instead of charity”.
“We are not happy that all the invited political party candidates did not attend this function. We all have been here since morning and nothing to show for it”, he lamented.
A participant, Mrs. Cecilia Okeke who also fell disappointed over the development, appealed to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), civil society organizations, religious leaders, traditional rulers and other concerned individuals to rise against the political marginalization mechanism of the Nigerian political leaders towards persons with disabilities in the country.
News Echo reports that the JONAPWD have listed a number of demands which they hope to achieve from any rightful candidate such as establishment of disability rights commission, continuous employment of persons with disabilities, allotment of more political offices, extension of years of service, social protection programs, housing schemes, scholarships and health care.