We urge the political parties to place public safety first, the integrity of the process second, as they work for their electoral victory in the forthcoming elections in Edo and Ondo states. Running a gubernatorial campaign even in the best circumstances was never an easy undertaking in any season. The Edo and Ondo governorship campaigns have now been further complicated by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We, therefore, urge the political parties in both states to prepare their members for the elections. Both elections have been scheduled for September 19, 2020 for Edo State and October 10, 2020, for Ondo State
In spite of the overwhelming negative effects of the pandemic, there are many aspects of our lives that could not be postponed or skipped and electing our political leaders is one of them. It is through the mechanism of our government that we are able to organise resources, human and material, to confront dangers to public safety, including the virus.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has issued guidelines on how we could safely conduct the campaigns and the elections. We ask everyone involved in the exercise to pay heed and follow strictly the guidelines so as not to endanger the lives of others as we exercise our rights to vote for candidates of our choice in the two states.
A major diversion from normal is the social distancing which has now been imposed upon us by the virus. It means we must stay at least two metres away from the closest person. This will lead to long queues, but we know the observance of social distancing saves lives, as it stops the infections. It gives assurance and a sense of confidence that we all care for the safety of one another.
We urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be nimble in its activities. It must also avoid crowds gathering during the elections. We say this because the coronavirus thrives in big crowds. If we have learnt nothing else since the pandemic came to our shores, it is that we must discourage the gathering of people in large numbers. In all those countries, which had discounted this cardinal rule of the virus, we have seen recently how the doubters eventually were forced to bow to reality and were constrained to close bars, clubs, places of worship, sports arenas, beaches and parks. In most of these places, it was difficult to maintain safe social distancing.
The virus spreads through the air as it is emitted through the mouths and nostrils of infected persons. As we breathe and speak, those who have the virus and may not know it, are able to spread the virus. This is where the wearing of face masks has also proved very effective as a life saver. The masks prevent the spread of the disease. The political parties would be helping the electorate by making sure that every voter wears a mask, and anyone who doesn’t gets one.
We appeal to the political parties to banish the “rally” mentality as a campaign method. Campaign speeches can be delivered though radio and television as well as the print media. There is a variety of social media platforms which are available to reach supporters, such as the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp and others.
There is still the old reliable medium, the pamphlet, which has served the purpose for hundreds of years. It is a most reliable form of presenting the printed party’s manifesto which encapsulates the candidate’s promises to provide voters a checklist and a score sheet.
The familiar newspapers are still the most reliable media and the two states are well served by several newspapers. Radio broadcasts have been the cheapest organ in reaching Nigerians. TV channels, even satellite channels, are available for use by the candidates to explain their programmes without the complications of rallies and huge crowds.
The virtual campaign has become the fad. And until a vaccine is found for COVID-19, politicians would need to adjust to the new mode of campaigning if only because other methods, like the huge rallies, now endanger the lives of those who attend them. Former President Goodluck Jonathan once declared that his political ambition was not worth the risk of people’s lives. We think all politicians should subscribe to that credo.