TheCable

Some civil society organisations (CSOs) have announced a virtual town hall meeting which will focus on the conduct of the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The event, being organised by YIAGA Africa and its partners, will hold on June 3 and will focus on public safety and transparency in the upcoming elections.

In a statement on Monday, Samson Itodo, executive director of YIAGA Africa, said the meeting will also feature conversations on the recently released policy framework by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The purpose of the policy, according to INEC, is “to enable officials and staff of the Commission to understand and respond adequately to the challenges of conducting elections in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and its health and financial implications.”

“The townhall seeks to facilitate public debate on the impact of COVID-19 on elections with a view to harness citizen input into the INEC policy on elections in the context of COVID-19,” Itodo said.

“Critically, the townhall will provide an opportunity for key stakeholders to build consensus on safeguarding public health and electoral integrity in the forthcoming elections.

“It is expected that the townhall will increase public awareness on new processes and guidelines introduced in the electoral process due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The live two-hour TV debate will bring together stakeholders including INEC, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), security agencies, CSOs, political parties, citizens and the media to discuss the practicalities of conducting elections amidst COVID-19 and the overriding implications of not conducting elections within constitutional time limits.

“The event will also draw on experiences of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) in other jurisdictions who recently conducted elections amidst COVID-19.”