As Bauchi state Governor Bala Mohammed tested positive of coronavirus, the social and economic impact of the development is likely to affect the Bauchi council elections of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Umar Mohammed Shira, Chairman of the 2020 council election has hinted.
The election was scheduled to take place in April, 2020.
Shira said although the electoral body has taken measures to downsize public gatherings in the built up to the election, the inability of the electoral body to galvanize the needed financial support may also impact the forthcoming election.
“Directly or indirectly, it has affected the entire process of this election. Consultations with government MDAs to seek support have drastically reduced.
“Even at the government house, we have a very strong memo with the hope that it will come and support the election process, but due to this development, there is no way we can continue to pursue that memo.
“Probably that will even affect the entire process of the election, because without the needed support, we cannot be able to conduct it successfully”, Shira told WikkiTimes on Wednesday.
He argued that in the event the electoral body could not get the financial backing necessary, the quality of the election would be affected, hence the likely suspension.
The chairman said the Bauchi Council of the NUJ has taken measures to avert possible spread of the virus.
“Even long before the incident that has happened to the executive governor of Bauchi state, the committee has sat and deliberated and reviewed the safety measures of this election.
“We are already in consultation with the national secretariat of the union; we have already taken some measures which brought about some modifications in the format of the election as against how it used to be previously.
He said the electoral body has directed candidates contesting for election to reach out to members through other means, particularly through social media platforms other than physical contact.
“They can also reach them through media messages, either through pamphlets, leaflets and text messages and individual members.
“No room for visitations to chapels, no room for meetings and no room to move around gingering supporters regarding this election”, Shira added.
Shira said although the election has yet to be suspended, the electoral body is continuing the process with a lot of measures.
“For now it’s going on with a lot of measures, there will be no manifestoes day which is the climax of activities during the election.
“It’s the time where a lot of people will come including members and friendly organizations to attend to campaign deliberations by individual candidates and members will have the opportunity to ask questions to the candidates, so this time around we are not holding that because as you know the presidential task force committee has directed that this time around there will be no such gathering”.
