by James Sambo

After a Security Council meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, stated that the North-East communities liberated from Boko Haram, do not have the necessary structures to facilitate an election.

While speaking to journalists on Tuesday, March 17, Minimah said that government structures needed to be restored in the town and villages before issues about elections could be discussed.

Although the polls is set to commence on March 28 with the presidential election, many suspect that a further postponement may be in the works, due to the new reasons being given.

However, Minimah refused to speak on the subject-matter (postponement), saying that the Independent National Electoral Commission would need to re-assess the situation in the communities before a final decision could be made on elections.

He said: “I am not competent to speak on that (elections) matter. INEC is still there, INEC has to re-access the situation and evaluate because the areas have been liberated, but I can also tell you that not all structures of governance have been reinstated.”

“They will need to be reinstated so that citizens can go back to their areas and it is then I think they can execute their rights as voters.”

The Army chief, however, said he did not know how soon the structures could be reinstated and when asked if the operation cold be wrapped up before March 28, he said: “It is our wish and we pray God gives that to us, but war is war. War sometimes is not fought on some platforms of permutation.”