by Hauwa Gambo

It’s a ‘hell no’ from the Borno State government on the prospects of conducting local government elections in the state anytime soon.

The reason? Well, this is how a reporter for PM News put it: “Because of security challenges in the area, created by the unrelenting insurgency of Boko Haram militants and suicide bombers.”

According to Alhaji Baba Jidda, who is secretary to the State Government, people of the state are living in fear.

“Government plans to conduct the polls as soon as the security situation improves in the state,” Jidda said. “Government is not interested in delaying the polls because we do not have anything to hide, it is just that the security situation has not improved.”

In the interim, the governor will appoint caretaker committees to run the 27 councils, the government secretary told journalists in Maiduguri.

“The appointment of the caretaker committee is in line with the Local Government Council (LGC) Act 2,000 of the state. So long as the security situation remains, the caretaker committees will remain,” he said.

And for you cynics that think the Borno governor would use the excuse of a dangerous sect to perpetuate his party’s dominance? “We are not afraid of losing the elections in anyway, we are just waiting for conducive atmosphere to conduct the polls,” Jidda said.

It will be recalled that a bomber drove into the headquarters of the Borno Police Command, on Friday. At least eight people were confirmed dead.