The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has pledged zero tolerance for the harassment, intimidation and obstruction of voters with disabilities ahead of the 2027 general elections. Subsequently, its Commandant-General called for stronger measures to ensure their safety and equal participation.
The Commandant-General, Prof Ahmed Abubakar Audi, said security personnel would be expected to treat voters with dignity and impartiality, provide priority assistance to those who need it and respond promptly to disability-related electoral incidents.
Audi spoke on Thursday in Abuja at a high-level technical engagement on disability-inclusive election security and protection protocols organised by TAF Africa ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said an election could not be considered credible if citizens were prevented from voting because of disability, stressing that national security must also protect human dignity and constitutional rights.
Prof Audi said the NSCDC would strengthen measures to prevent harassment and intimidation of voters with disabilities, improve accessibility around polling units and enhance reporting and coordination mechanisms for responding to electoral incidents.
He also said the corps would work with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), organisations of persons with disabilities and other security agencies to develop practical, rights-based approaches to electoral security.
Audi urged officers and men of the NSCDC to exercise their authority with restraint, fairness and accountability, warning that their conduct at polling stations would be as important as their deployment.
He said the effectiveness of inclusive election security should be measured, not by the number of security personnel deployed but how safe and empowered vulnerable voters felt when exercising their rights.
The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, also urged the NSCDC to translate disability-inclusive security guidelines into practical procedures ahead of the elections.
Mignot said the guidelines would only be effective if security institutions took ownership of them and incorporate their provisions into operational plans, personnel training, deployment instructions and procedures for responding to incidents.
He called for stronger coordination among the NSCDC, INEC, the Nigeria Police Force, organisations of persons with disabilities and civil society groups to protect voters from intimidation, harassment, discrimination and electoral violence.
The ambassador said disability inclusion should be integrated into security operations throughout the electoral cycle, including voter registration, campaigns, political rallies and voting.
In his address, the INEC chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, SAN, said credible elections required an environment in which every eligible citizen could participate freely, safely and without discrimination.
He said persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons continued to face barriers, such as inaccessible electoral information, physical obstacles, communication difficulties, intimidation and inadequate support.
Amupitan called for disability inclusion to be reflected in electoral planning, voter education, polling unit arrangements, security deployment and emergency response procedures. He also stressed the need for coordination and monitoring to ensure that proposed measures translated into practical improvements before the 2027 elections.
Earlier, the chairman of TAF Africa’s Board, Prof Vincent Anigbogu, said security personnel were often the first point of contact when voters faced threats, violence, intimidation or emergencies during electoral activities.
He said the engagement was intended to strengthen institutional understanding of disability-inclusive security, identify gaps in existing procedures and develop practical recommendations for protecting persons with disabilities and internally displaced populations.
The engagement was organised under Component 5B of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Programme.
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