The spokesman made this known at a sensitisation forum for the media in Benin, on Thursday.

He said “Political Parties and all the critical stakeholders in the electoral process must see the conduct of these elections as a national project that must be executed in strict compliance with all the safety protocols.

There is no alternative to the peaceful conduct of these elections as the alternative will leave the people of the two states with a constitutional logjam that may be difficult to resolve.

“On our part, we are determined and resolved to proceed with the conduct of the Edo and Ondo Governorship elections and all the outstanding bye-elections. In doing so, the Commission will not compromise the safety and welfare of its staff, ad-hoc staff as well as the voters. We will work closely with the security agencies to arrest threats and degrade acts of violence.”

The Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Johnson Sinikiem, said the September 19 governorship election would be the first to be conducted under the Covid-19 pandemic, noting that it has become imperative for journalists to be conversant with the new realities.