Disability Forum Endorses Tinubu, Kano Governor for 2027

 

By Atlantic Reports

The Society for People with Disability Forum, North-West, has endorsed President Bola Tinubu and Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf for second terms in 2027, linking its support to welfare programmes and expectations of greater representation in government.

The forum announced its position on Sunday in Kano during a sensitisation programme on electoral participation by persons with disabilities.

Its National Chairman, Yarima Suleiman, said the group would mobilise five million votes for Tinubu and one million for Yusuf. He did not explain how the targets were calculated or provide membership and voter-registration figures to support them.

Suleiman said participants had been drawn from northern states and the Federal Capital Territory to express support for the President.

He cited the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Persons with Disabilities as examples of institutional recognition.

Forum Seeks Greater Representation

Suleiman said five per cent of appointments across federal ministries, departments and agencies had been reserved for persons with disabilities. However, his remarks also indicated that the forum was seeking implementation of that provision.

“We hope in 2027, we are going to get that five per cent,” he said.

The account provided no appointment figures or details establishing how the claimed reservation was being applied.

Suleiman also said the forum had reached an agreement with Yusuf over the appointment of a commissioner and other officials if the governor secured a second term.

That account was presented by the forum chairman. The governor’s remarks at the event did not specifically confirm the claimed agreement.

The forum’s Secretary, Adnan Daneji, speaking through an interpreter, said the programme was organised to acknowledge government support for persons with disabilities.

He praised Tinubu’s efforts to address Nigeria’s challenges and commended Yusuf for including 50 forum members among beneficiaries of Kano’s recent 2026 mass wedding programme.

The forum’s Kano Chairman, Sa’adu Ibrahim, said members had benefited from federal and state welfare packages. He urged them to turn out in large numbers during the elections, describing electoral support as a way of reciprocating those interventions.

The endorsement represents the forum’s position, rather than the political preference of all persons with disabilities in the region.

Kano Government Highlights Inclusion Programmes

Yusuf, represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and People with Special Needs, Hajiya Amina Sani-Abdullahi, said his administration wanted persons with disabilities to help shape policies as well as benefit from them.

He cited wheelchair provision for people with spinal cord injuries and support for para-sport as examples of the administration’s interventions.

“We have promoted para-sport activities, creating opportunities for PWDs to showcase their talents, build confidence and participate fully in recreational and competitive sports,” he said.

The governor’s remarks did not specify the number of wheelchair beneficiaries, spending on the programmes or their coverage across the state.

The forum’s demands place political representation alongside welfare support as priorities ahead of 2027. Whether the promised appointments materialise, and how beneficiaries are selected, will provide measures of progress beyond the endorsement.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.