Center for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) has been re-elected as the bona fide representative of Persons With Disability (PWD) on the Steering Committee of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, a coalition of no fewer than 70 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the country that monitors Nigeria’s electoral process.
Ms Florence Attah, Programme Assistant, CCD, made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja, stating that the organization emerged winner with 47 votes, against its opponent, the Albino Foundation, that polled only 6 votes.
“CCD, led by its Executive Director, David Obinna Anyaele, defeated Mr Jake Epelle of the Albino Foundation at the Situation Room’s general retreat which took place in Abuja”, she said.
Attah described the re-election of CCD into the Steering Committee as a ”re-validation of CCD’s credibility, integrity and capability to represent Nigerians with disabilities and Organisations of PWDs”, adding, “It is also an authentication that CCD has made great impact on election matters relating to PWDs, through its campaign on equal voting access for PWDs.”
She further asserted that the re-election of CCD to represent PWDs was also an appreciation of the efforts by the group in promoting inclusive society, free from discrimination on grounds of disability.
Mr Samson Ezenwa of Partners for Electoral Reform lauded the efforts of the group and its leadership in championing disability matters in the country and in ensuring the passage of the National Disability Act.
According to him, the re-election of the group signified that Nigerians know who is doing what, and they would stand behind any organisation or government that was doing well.
Others elected as members of the Steering Committee include: Ms Esther Uzoma, the Executive Director, Proactive Gender as the New Convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, Abuja – Secretariat.
Young Innovators and Vocational Training Initiative (YIVTI), Mac-Jim Foundation, NISD, African Centre for Entrepreneurship and Information Development, ROLAAC, Kimpact Youth Initiative, EDOSCSO an NGO, Grassroot Mobilization-DAC, Women Rights and Environment Program(WREP), Action Aid Nigeria, CDD, Cleen Foundation make up the other members.
Situation Room undertakes regular analysis and dissemination of information on major developments and supports coordination and synergy amongst election stakeholders.
It has as its focal objectives, seeking to improve the quality of Nigeria’s electoral system, as well as strengthening Civil Society Organizations’ capacity to better engage and monitor the electoral process.
