Edo election: Presiding officers insist on no face masks, no voting

Presiding Officers in the Edo governorship election have said that no electorate will be allowed to vote without wearing a face mask in compliance with the COVID-19 safety protocols.

They also insist on adherence to social distancing as provided in the guidelines for the conduct of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr Oyesanmi Ezekiel, the presiding officer at Central Primary School, Iruekpen, told the eligible voters to wear face masks before voting in units 3, 4 and 5 at Iruekpen.

As part of efforts to ensure compliance with social distancing, Ezekiel marked out areas that the electorate could stand before being allowed to vote.

He told our reporter that as part of effort to stem against the spread of Covid-19 virus, INEC provided them with infrared thermometers, medicated spirit and hand sanitiser.

“The medicated spirit will be used to clean the card reader as well as fingers of each voters before voting,” he said.

The situation, however, was not the same at Ward 5 Uniit 2, where voters did not observe INEC guidelines on social distancing for the poll.

But in Emaudo Ward 4, Unit 14, Esan West Local Government, both voters and INEC officials complied with the protocols.

Hawkers of face masks used the no face masks no voting to make quick money across the various polling units visited.

The face masks sellers who sell each mask for N100, witnessed high patronage from voters who came without one.