Dutse — Malam Shuai’bu Haruna, the Director, National Orientation Agency, NOA, in Jigawa, yesterday, urged persons living with disability to collect Permanent Voters’ Cards for them to participate in the forthcoming elections.

Haruna made the call at a one-day voter education exercise for the physically challenged persons in Hadejia, Jigawa.

The director said the call was imperative to enable such persons to exercise their civic rights.

Represented by Zakar Adamu, the director said the exercise was designed to educate disabled persons on their civic rights.

He said the participants were drawn from the blind, leper, cripple and other physically challenged persons’ associations in Hadejia senatorial district.

Haruna said the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had made adequate arrangements to support the disabled persons and simplify their voting processes.

He said the exercise was conducted in collaboration with INEC and the Joint Association of Persons with Disability.

Mallam Muhammad Usman, Chairman of the association, commended the agency for the exercise, saying that it would create awareness among their members.

Usman urged disabled persons to be law-abiding during the election period.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that about 50 participants drawn from eight local government areas of the zone attended the exercise.