Youth Initiative for the Advancement of Growth Advocacy, YIAGA Africa, a citizen-led NGO, on Thursday raised an alarm that cases of Coronavirus may spike in Edo state, after the governorship election slated for Saturday.
The Chairman of YIAGA Africa on the 2020 Edo Election Observation Mission, Aisha Abdullahi, who disclosed this in its first pre-election briefing in Benin City, the state capital, expressed this concern against the backdrop of what she described as a serious breach of covid-19 protocols by both political parties and members of the public
The youth advocacy group during the briefing accused the two major political parties in the Edo governorship election and their supporters of non-compliance with electoral guidelines and covid-19 protocols, unhealthy electoral competition, and inducement of the electorates with money and other gift items.
YIAGA Africa’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, in acknowledging the challenges that bedeviled other elections, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to remain neutral in the conduct of the Edo election.
He said over 500 of its trained observers to be deployed will ensure that all results of the election declared by the INEC at the 192 wards are monitored and posted to its database.