Despite the disruption to human activities and lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, on Sunday, May 10, 2020, said it was ready for the electioneering process for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States scheduled for September and October.
Lanre Issa-Onilu, the national publicity secretary of the party, who disclosed this to journalists in Abuja, said APC was only waiting for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to release the new guidelines for the conduct of the two elections in view of the lockdown that disrupted virtually all activities.
But for the pandemic, the electoral umpire had fixed the governorship election in Edo State for September 19 while that of Ondo State holds on the 10th of October.
Asked for the level of preparedness of the party for the two gubernatorial elections, Issa-Onilu said the party was ready to go for the electioneering process and the subsequent elections for the two governorship polls.
He said: “The only thing to do is wait for INEC. That is not to say we are not preparing. Whatever date it is, we are prepared. For us, as a party, we are ready for the elections.
“All Progressives Congress, APC, is ready for Edo and Ondo states governorship elections. Once we have the new guidelines from INEC, we will plug into it. What we need to do as a party, we are already doing. APC is ready for Edo and Ondo States”.
The APC chieftain also said the party was ready for the elections to fill the vacant national and state Houses of Assembly seats nationwide.
The earlier timetable for the election activities before COVID-19 scourge by electoral body fixed the conduct of primary election and resolution of disputes arising from party primaries in Edo state between June 2 and 27, while the campaign starts on June 21.
The timetable for Ondo State party primaries and nomination of candidates is from July 2 to 25.
