The newly elected Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities in Ogun State, Mr Ayo Awobona, has pledged to prioritise unity among persons with disabilities, describing it as the foundation for achieving greater inclusion and advancing the rights of members across the state.
Awobona, who spoke with journalists in Abeokuta on Saturday, shortly after his election, said that beyond advocating the implementation of the Ogun State Disability Law, his administration would focus on reconciling aggrieved groups within the association and strengthening collaboration with government agencies, the private sector, and the wider society.
According to him, unity within the association remains the foremost priority of his leadership.
“A lot, like I said earlier in my speech, depends on unity. If we really want to achieve much, we just have to bring ourselves together. That’s our number one assignment,” he said.
The JONAPWD chairman disclosed that two clusters within the association were currently experiencing internal disagreements, expressing confidence that the issues would be resolved.
“We have two clusters now that are having issues. By God’s grace, we will try to resolve whatever is causing the problem and bring them back into the JONAPWD fold. Once we all come together as one, our voice will not be divided in any way, and we’ll be able to achieve all that we have set out to do,” he stated.
Awobona added that his administration would deepen engagement with government institutions, public and private organisations, as well as the general public, to promote a better understanding of the challenges and capabilities of persons with disabilities.
“We are open to engagement with government parastatals, the public, the private sector, and society itself because we need a reorientation. Society must see us as part of them. We will bring all stakeholders together so they can understand who we are, how to relate with us, and how we can collectively move the association forward,” he said.
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Awobona called for greater political inclusion of persons with disabilities and said the association would work closely with the Independent National Electoral Commission to increase voter registration and participation among its members.
He commended INEC for participating in the association’s election, noting that the commission used the occasion to enlighten members on measures already put in place to make the electoral process more accessible to persons with disabilities.
“I’m happy INEC was represented at our election today. They saw things for themselves, and we also heard from them about facilities and arrangements they have put in place for persons with disabilities that many of us were not aware of.
“We will take that information back to our members and continue to sensitise them so that, as elections approach, everyone knows their rights and understands that they can vote without difficulty,” he said.
The chairman further disclosed plans to seek INEC’s support in organising decentralised Permanent Voter Card registration exercises in communities with large populations of persons with disabilities.
“Yes, we will be scheduling a meeting with INEC. We want to seek their support by arranging registration exercises in local governments or areas where our members are concentrated.
“If registration is brought closer to them, more persons with disabilities will participate because one of our biggest challenges is moving from one place to another,” Awobona added.