AS preparations for the forthcoming general election hots up, Adamawa State governor, Bala Ngilari, on Tuesday, shocked the people of the state, as he advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend the conduct of elections in the state for security reasons.
Governor Ngaliri, who spoke at INEC stakeholders’ workshop on “Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the 2015 general election,” held in Abuja, was, however, greeted by negative response from other stakeholders, who apparently disagreed with his position.
The governor, while canvassing that elections in the state should be suspended until April, insisted that as the chief security officer of the state, Adamawa was not suitable for elections for now.He pointed out to INEC and others at the forum that lives were more important, adding that the suspension should be done to allow for proper rehabilitation of persons affected by the insurgency.
The forum, which had in attendance, governors of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, as well as federal lawmakers, civil society organisations and security agencies, was to deliberate on some of the modalities drafted by a taskforce setup by INEC to review ways of enabling IDPS to vote during February’s election.
“In Adamawa, I can truly tell you that seven local government areas are under siege. The supposed peace we have is just the peace of the graveyard. To say that the security situation in these local governments are sufficiently stabilised so that we can have these elections on February 14, to my mind, is fierce,” Ngilari said.
While the INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, told the governor that his complaints and observations had been noted, a federal lawmaker, Honourable Aisha Ahmed, from Adamawa State, disagreed with the governor, stating that there would be havoc if the elections were postponed in the state.
Senator Ali Ndume, in his contribution, said if elections would hold in other countries battling insurgency, there was no reason elections should not hold in any state facing insurgency attack.
Source: Tribune
Governor Ngaliri, who spoke at INEC stakeholders’ workshop on “Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the 2015 general election,” held in Abuja, was, however, greeted by negative response from other stakeholders, who apparently disagreed with his position.
The governor, while canvassing that elections in the state should be suspended until April, insisted that as the chief security officer of the state, Adamawa was not suitable for elections for now.He pointed out to INEC and others at the forum that lives were more important, adding that the suspension should be done to allow for proper rehabilitation of persons affected by the insurgency.
The forum, which had in attendance, governors of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, as well as federal lawmakers, civil society organisations and security agencies, was to deliberate on some of the modalities drafted by a taskforce setup by INEC to review ways of enabling IDPS to vote during February’s election.
“In Adamawa, I can truly tell you that seven local government areas are under siege. The supposed peace we have is just the peace of the graveyard. To say that the security situation in these local governments are sufficiently stabilised so that we can have these elections on February 14, to my mind, is fierce,” Ngilari said.
While the INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, told the governor that his complaints and observations had been noted, a federal lawmaker, Honourable Aisha Ahmed, from Adamawa State, disagreed with the governor, stating that there would be havoc if the elections were postponed in the state.
Senator Ali Ndume, in his contribution, said if elections would hold in other countries battling insurgency, there was no reason elections should not hold in any state facing insurgency attack.
Source: Tribune
