The federal government Monday announced new guidelines for the conduct of elections in the country during the coronavirus pandemic.
Director-General of the National Centre for Disease Control (MCDC) Dr Chike Ihekweazu, made the announcement at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on the Control of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, ahead of the Edo and Ondo states gubernatorial elections, NCDC has advised politicians to use media channels like radio, television and social media to campaign for votes.
The NCDC said the use of these channels, rather than the previous methods of canvassing for votes which involves mass gathering, would help check the spread of COVID-19 infections.
It also called for careful adherence to mass gathering guideline.
“We urge our politicians to take responsibility and lead by example.
“We ask you to please think of the lives of the electorates first.
“Your electorates, staying alive, is much more important than any vote you can win.
“The guideline is to support critically, Nigerians that will be going to vote.
“The virus thrives in mass gathering and there is a challenge that we have in the way we have conducted our elections before, during and post.
“In this guideline, we try and offer advice on how to do this safely,’’ it explained