The independent National Electoral Commission, INEC says it is studying reports from countries like Mali and South Korea, that have conducted elections during the COVID-19 pandemic, to guide its decision on how to go about the Governorship polls scheduled to hold in Edo and Ondo states in September and October this year, as well as 9 legislative by-elections.
INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu made this known during an online meeting with State resident electoral commissioners, REC on Saturday from Abuja, the Nation’s capital.
Professor Yakubu said the Edo and Ondo governorship elections, as well as the 5 Senatorial and 4 state assembly by-elections, are spread across 9 states of the federation involving a cumulative number of 62 local government areas, 687 registration areas, 9,149 polling units and 6,454,950 registered voters.
The INEC chairman said this number if put in the context of sub-region, the registered voters for these off-season elections is equivalent to holding general elections in Liberia, Guinea bissau, Sierra leone, and Cape verde put together. He noted that full delimitation details for the elections have been uploaded on INEC website and social media platforms.
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He said though the pandemic has disrupted election activities, the commission will not hesitate to further engage with the National assembly and stakeholders on electoral reforms but that the end of tenure governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states scheduled for 19th september 2020 and 10th october 2020 respectively will proceed as planned.
Professor Yakubu revealed that some of the registered political parties have notified the commission of the dates for their party primaries leading to the nomination of their candidates for the two elections, adding that as the commission takes the COVID-19 pandemic seriously, democracy and electoral process cannot be truncated particularly because health authorities have advised on measures to protect the public from the virus, including all those involved in elections.
(editor: Terverr tyav)
