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General News of Monday, 12 December 2022

Source: legit.ng

Atiku, Okowa in trouble as important group of Nigerians drop bombshell ahead of 2023 polls

Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa

The 2023 presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, have been accused of not caring for persons with disabilities (PWDs).

PM News reports that the executive secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), James Lalu, while speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, December 9, said Atiku was a vice president under the PDP for eight years but made no impact on the lives of PWDs.

Lalu noted that during the reign of the PDP in the country, the PWDs community struggled, even when the bill was passed by the National Assembly, Atiku and PDP did not sign it into law. He also recalled that the disability community went out to protest and called the attention of the PDP government but were all tear-gased in the process.

His words: “We also want to remind the Governor of Delta, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, that the disability law had not been passed or signed in Delta.

“Also to Aminu Tambulwal, the law was passed in Sokoto State, but he is yet to sign and implement it.

“We want to call the attention of the PDP’s Presidential candidate for the 2023 election to focus his energy on calling on the Governor of Adamawa to sign the disability bill into law."

Appreciating the president for his efforts and commitment to the PWD community, Lalu described Muhammadu Buhari as the best friend of the disability community and PWDs.

He said: “When he came to power, he was able to listen to the cries of PWDs. In 2014 in Lafia, Buhari during his campaign, promised to sign the disability bill into law.

“On Jan. 17, 2019, Buhari signed the Discrimination Against PWDs Prohibition Act. He went ahead, and on Aug. 17, he approved my appointment and that of the Governing Board.

“That marks the beginning of the NCPWDs and here we are. This testifies that Buhari has since commenced the implementation of the Act, something Alhaji Atiku and PDP could not do."