Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. James Ngilari has pleaded with the Independent National Electoral Commission not to hold any elections in the state come next month because the security situation in the state is not stabilised.
While speaking on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ workshop on, ‘Internally Displaced Persons and the 2015 general elections’, organised by INEC, Ngilari 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.”
Amidst jeers, Professor Attahiru Jega who was also present at the Workshop commented that only security agencies can say what will happen as he has no power to grant such request.
Ngilari added that Boko Haram can attack anytime and Internally Displaced Persons are not even concerned about elections, he said 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.”