Postponing Edo, Ondo Elections May Spark Constitutional Crisis – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that postponing the Edo and  Ondo states governorship polls and other bye-elections will throw Nigeria into a constitutional crisis.

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of INEC, who raised the red flag at the commission’s first virtual consultative meeting with media organisations, yesterday, however, reassured the election umpire would continue to adopt and implement measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country’s electoral activities.

“INEC is, therefore, determined to proceed with the two end of tenure governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states and 10 senatorial and state Assembly elections with cautious optimism bearing in mind that the health and safety of the people will be crucial determinants of the success or otherwise of the elections.

“We are mindful of the fact that we are at war with an ‘unseen’ enemy. We are aware of the fact that some of our compatriots have lost their lives on account of COVID-19 pandemic. We are aware that so many people are in isolation and quarantine centres. We are aware that some of our people are isolated and quarantined at home. This existential threat has therefore caused major disruption in public life which has led to a rethink of the way we administer elections and the processes connected therewith,” he said.

Yakubu solicited media cooperation and support in disseminating required information that would help to protect the health of voters and all those involved in electoral activities.

“The commission believes that your opinions and suggestions will be of immense benefit to our electoral activities. The commission, therefore, values your contributions to policy formulation and implementation,” he said.

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Yakubu said COVID-19 pandemic had necessitated a rethink of many activities that had been taken for granted”

Meanwhile, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said it has developed a COVID-19 contacts-tracing software application that can be deployed in all its locations across the country.

The corporation disclosed this in a statement by its spokesman, Dr Kennie Obateru, in Abuja yesterday.

It said the idea was in line with the Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE) agenda of the present leadership of the corporation.

According to Obateru, the NNPC continues to show the commitment to continually deploy Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for the purposes of operational efficiency and accountability within the corporation’s system.

He quoted the corporation’s Group General Manager, Information Technology Division (ITD), Danladi Inuwa, as saying that the novel app was part of the NNPC’s sectoral contribution to curb the spread of the pandemic within its formations, ministries, departments and agencies of the government.

“The contacts-tracing Solution is ready to be deployed, all the technical testing have been done and the solution is ready to go live.

“Everywhere you go around NNPC locations will be covered by this novel application, which will reveal all information about persons visiting any official.”