Ondo commission insists on LG polls despite COVID-19

Osagie Otabor, Benin

The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) has said that the local government elections scheduled for April 18, 2020 would still hold as scheduled despite scare of corona virus.

It insisted that there would be no postponement of the polls.

ODIEC Commissioner in charge of Media and Publicity, Barr. Rotimi Olorunfemi, told journalists that several measures would be put in place to check and protect voters from coronavirus during the exercise.

Olorunfemi said the commission would provide hand washing bowls, sanitisers and gloves to carter for the people that would be participating in the election.

Olorunfemi said the commission would collaborate with the Ministry of Health to ensure safety of members of adhoc staff and officials before, during and after the poll.

According to him: “The electoral officials will only attend to twenty voters at a time in order to align with government laid down rules of health safety.

READ ALSO: No overloading of passengers in Ondo

“During the training of adhoc staff, arrangements have been made to breakdown it down to manageable sizes in adherence to government directives.”

Meanwhile, the Deji of Akure, Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo, has called on the commission to conduct free, fair and credible elections that would be acceptable to all stakeholders.

Oba Aladetoyinbo also urged ODIEC to carry out extensive sensitisation of the electorates through electronic media because of menace of corona virus.

The Akure monarch spoke when members of ODIEC led by its Chairman, Prof Yomi Dinakin, visited him at his palace to intimate him about the local polls.

Oba Aladetoyinbo who expressed confidence in ODIEC’s ability to conduct credible polls cautioned against violence during the elections.

Chairman of ODIEC, Prof. Yomi Dinakin said the visit to the palace of Deji of Akure was part of the commission’s efforts to sensitize people on the importance of participating in local council poll.

Prof Dinakin reiterated that the election would hold on April 18 without any hitch.