The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has hailed the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its new policy on conducting elections in the country in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Council noted that the new measure outlined in its recently released Policy On Conducting Elections in the Context of the Covid -19 Pandemic document as being realistic, exhaustive, health-sensitive and in tune with reality of the times.
“Coronavirus scourge has altered the nation’s political horizon with its health, social and financial implications, making the use of electronic voting imperative. The Council commends the electoral umpire for agreeing to use electoral voting machine in 2021 polls on a pilot scale.
“IPAC has been in the vanguard for the use of electronic voting system in conducting elections in Nigeria which will assure free, fair, credible, transparent, acceptable and peaceful polls.
“IPAC welcomes INEC plan to experiment on e-voting in 2021 in major elections. lt is a giant step forward in the nation’s political process.
“The exigency of the moment has made it imperative for INEC to receive political parties’ nomination forms for Edo and Ondo governorship elections online in compliance with various established Coronavirus preventive protocols such as social distancing.”
IPAC urged political parties and their candidates to imbibe issue-based campaigns and eschew divisive politics that has impeded the nation’s political process., adding that it is time to build a strong, virile, durable and sustainable democratic nation.
