The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Iheakwazu announced that the agency has come up with a safety guideline for the conduct of elections within the era of the pandemic.
He said; “We have announced and launched a new guideline for the conduct of elections during the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria. “This is the first time we are holding elections of this significance within a pandemic. Therefore, we have developed these guidelines to support everyone involved, political parties, INEC, and most critically, Nigerians that would be going to vote in these difficult times.”
He added that voting still remains a civic responsibility regardless of the pandemic. “Even though we are in the middle of a pandemic, we have to find a way of doing this safely. We have to adapt to the new normal. As we know, the virus thrives in mass gatherings.
“In these guidelines, we have strongly advised on how to do this safely. We strongly advise the use of television and radio, mobile vans, social media, and other forms of communication as our politicians solicit for votes.”
Iheakwazu stated that the NCDC has not given up on Kogi State or any state, as that would be against the mandate of the Centre. “Our responsibility is to continue supporting every state in Nigerian, protect the health of every Nigerian,” he said.
