Persons with Disabilities in All Progressive Congress (APC) under the auspice of APC PROGRESSIVES DISABILITY FORUM on Friday at APC Secretariat submitted a protest letter to the leadership of the ruling party complaining about non-inclusion of PWDs in the National Working Committee of the Party and gross neglect of Persons With Disabilities to appoint a person without disability as APC Disability Leader.
The Convener of the group, Yarima Sulaiman Ibrahim, a blind person while addressing newsmen after submitting the protest letter, lamented that PWDs in APC were not consulted by APC leadership before reaching the concensus that produced Hon. Tolu Bankole who he said does not have disability.
He said that the implication is that PWDs are not represented at the NWC of the party.
Speaking further, he said that they came to submit their protest letter with representative of all clusters of PWDs in Nigeria so that the party leadership can see that the man that the party made to represent PWDs is not one of them.
He called on Party Leadership, all men and women of conscience in APC to intervene and appoint a person with disability to represent PWDs in the APC NWC.
He reminded that Disability Act gave PWDs right to participate in politics and if this injustice is allowed in the party, it negates the principle of equity and Inclusive political process in which the party is known for.
He also said “party faithfuls with disabilities are clamouring for proper inclusion in line with the relevant provisions of the APC Constitution and usurpation of a person without disability representing us at the apex position is height of injustice.
He warned that if the party leadership refuse to act on the letter they submitted, APC members with disabilities will not allow the matter to die down, they will take action to ensure that the APC Constitution is followed.
The APC Disability Leader, Hon. Tolu Bankole who came out during the protest, in his response told newsmen that it is not current to say that he is not a person with disability, he said that he is of the blind cluster even though he is not totally blind, he has some eyes defect which he claimed that he has doctor’s report to prove it.
Speaking further, he said that he doesn’t need to appear dirty before he can be regarded as person with disability or he doesn’t have to be a beggar before he can be regarded as a person with disability.
He also said that PWDs in APC were not excluded during primaries as delegates. He blamed it on the crisis between the executive and the National Assembly which led to the removal of sanctuary delegates from the electoral act which made it impossible for Mr. President, Party Chairman and many others to vote in the Party Primaries.
TQM learnt that majority of the PWDs clusters at the protest ground including the blind cluster don’t know Hon. Tolu Bankole. It is not yet very clear what form of disability that he has because he can move around unaided but maybe later, it can be proven that he has eye defect going by his claim that he can see with only one eye.
