Blind
voters in Oyo bemoan absence of braille ballot papers
Hundreds of visually-impaired voters at the training centre
for the blind in Ogbomoso, Oyo state, have bemoaned the absence of Braille
ballot papers in today’s gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections which
took place in the 33 local government areas of the state.
The persons affected, while complaining that the process did
not take care of their need to exercise their franchise without any other
persons assisting them, added that the process was not convenient for blind people
because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), refused to
provide braille ballot papers in the elections.
One of the visually-impaired identified as Joseph Alabi,
said they would have been able to conveniently vote for the party of their
choice without aid, if adequate and befitting materials were provided for them.
Alabi said, “They should have provided us with braille.
“They made use of braille in Osun state last year, during
the last governorship election.
“So if they give us the same thing in Oyo state here, it
will make the voting process easier, and there won’t be need for anyone to hold
our thumbs.”
But the spokesman of INEC in the state, Mr. Ayodele Folami,
while reacting, said that the absence of braille in the area may be an
omission.
Folami, in a short telephone conversation with DAILY POST,
said that there is a provision for the braille as he insisted that he has some
copies of the braille in his office when our correspondent called him.
He said, “That may be an omission. I would not know, but let
me find out from the electoral officers. Let me call them because we even have
some copies here.
“That may be an omission. But, I will find out”