‘With 10m PVCs, persons with disabilities will determine Nigeria’s President’

Barely five days to the country’s presidential election, the Chairman, Board of Trustees and founder, Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD), Prince Paul Adelabu has vowed that all the 10 million registered votes of the members of the association will be used to actualise the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The vow is coming on the heels of the endorsement for the presidential candidates of the All Progressive Congress (APC) by 54 different support groups from the Southwest states.

Adelabu, a former Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on people with disability said the President Buhari singular act of signing into law the disability bill that would add value to the life of people with disability is enough reason to work for his re-election.

The support groups, represented by their various zonal leaders and coordinators from the Southwest region made the endorsement of President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at an event well attended by delegates at Mapo Hall, Ibadan on Monday.

According to Adelabu, every effort to make sure that the PDP led government signed the disability bill into law in the last 16 years of the nation’s political history was futile as a result of what he described as “show of unconcern and lack of care” for people living with disability in different parts of the country.

While noting that  27 million people with disabilities regarded Buhari as a father who is concerned about their plight, the Association said the 10million people with disabilities will determine the next president of the country.

He said, “Our votes will determine the presidency of the country. There are 27 million people with disabilities. Ten million of us have PVCs. We are going to vote for Buhari. Ten million votes from us is for President Buhari.

“On the 23rd of last month he signed our bill. We’ll be celebrating Buhari on this day. Olusegun Obadanjo, Musa Yar’adua and Goodluck Jonathan did not sign the bill. Any government that is concerned with the plight of disabled people is better to vote. For the sake of the poor and disabled, vote massively for Buhari.”

In a remark, the Southwest Director General, APC Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Olusola Oke urged the Yoruba’s to vote massively for the APC.

Calling on Yoruba sons and daughters to vote for Buhari and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Oke said the party gave the region the vice presidential slot, stressing that for the region to retain that slot, it must vote for APC massively.

Oke added that aside from pursuing Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s philosophy, the Buhari-led government had made giant strides in the areas of infrastructural development such as railway, roads, power supply and job creation.

He charged the 54 support groups present at the event to go back to their units to mobilize for Buhari and Osinbajo, saying the region had got a diligent, dedicated and honest man in the administration in person of Osinbajo.

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“We want him to be there for the next four years. Buhari relies on the support groups. Don’t disappoint him. We have every reason to support Buhari. The Yorubas are taking the front seat in this administration and we want to retain them.

“We don’t want the prime position of Vice President go to another region. We must use our votes to retain it. The Yorubas are ready to move to the next level.”

In their separate remarks, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state and the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole urged the Southwest not to allow the VP slot go to other region, assuring that with more votes to ensure Buhari’s re-election, the region will get more.