by Panshak Ibrahim
The Governor of Adamawa State, James Ngilari, has pleaded with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), not to hold elections in his state in February.
Ngilari, while speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, January 20, at a stakeholders’ workshop on, ‘Internally Displaced Persons and the 2015 general elections’, implored the commission to suspend elections in the state till April.
However, his plea was met with jeers by the stakeholders at the workshop, which was also attended by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega.
In response to the governor, Jega said he lacks the powers to grant the request, stressing that only security agencies could say what would play out during or after the election.
But Ngilari was insistent, noting that at least seven local governments in the state were currently under the occupation of the Boko Haram sect.
He said: “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 the February 14, 2014, to my mind is fierce.”
“That is my position. Anybody is entitled to his views; that is our position. I am the chief security officer. Even as I speak now, this morning Mr. Chairman, there was an attack on Uba on the Borno side which directly affects us in Adamawa.”
“Before last Saturday, this situation could be said to have been stabilised until this attack was unleashed on Gombi Local Government. With that attack which completely reverberates across these seven local governments, of course, people would first and foremost be concerned about their dear lives.
“For the first time and about the same time, there was an attack on Biu which has never happened before. Experience has shown that they will go back and regroup and you can never predict when and where they would attack again.”
While praying that there would be no attacks, Ngilari stated that the most critical time for the insurgents to inflict their harm might be during elections.
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