COVID-19 may disenfranchise voters, says INEC

 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the COVID-19 pandemic may disenfranchise voters in the September 19 governorship election.

INEC Head of Voters Education and Publicity Mr. Timidi Wariowei expressed this concern yesterday in Benin.

He said the commission had not carried out the continuous voter registration exercise as well as the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the election.

Wariowei spoke at a roundtable on the governorship election organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development in Benin.

The theme of the roundtable is “Issue at stake and their implications on the conduct of credible election”.

He assured the electorate that INEC was ready to conduct a credible poll.

Wariowei noted that preparation had begun for the exercise, while fund was never the problem

 

“The need to protect the people against the pandemic is placed above other interests.

“The continuous voter’s registration would have taken care of those that have attained the age of 18 after the last exercise and those that were unable to register for one reason or the other during the exercise.

“The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t allow us to also carry out distribution of the PVCs.

“We don’t want to be accused unnecessarily or seen to be undermining the people, but for their own protection,” he said.

Wariowei said despite the challenges, election must be conducted in the state to avoid constitutional crisis.

He said the poll would be conducted by following the precautionary measures and maintaining social distancing by avoiding mass contact.

According to him, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines have been mainstreamed into the guidelines’ provided by the commission for the conduct of the governorship election.