Elections May Not Hold In North East – INEC Chairman' Prof. Jega

On Moneday, Professor Attahiru Jega, The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said unless there is a significant improvement in the security situation in the Northeast, next month’s general elections may not take place in the area.

“A place like Borno State, unless something is done about those that have been displaced, even return for the governorship might be difficult, if not impossible under the circumstances. 

To be realistic, we must say that it may be impossible to do elections in everywhere, in every local government, in every constituency in those three states” he said, while speaking at a forum in Abuja, organised by the African Policy Research Institute.

He however pointed out that the commission is working hard to limit the number of Nigerians that may be disenfranchised as a result of the insurgency. 

He announced that the commission has made adequate plans for internally displaced persons to vote in designated areas in the north east. 

“First and foremost, we know that there is many internally displaced persons in Nigeria but our focus is going to be on the north east zone and it will only be for internally displaced persons that are in the states”, he added.

Also speaking at the forum was the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, who called on politicians who steal the nation’s resources to be cautious.

He noted that “our problem is not in terms of wealth but in terms of distribution of the wealth; the social distribution”.