Parties tell INEC to Postpone Borno elections till Sept, 23

Twenty-three of the 28 political parties in Borno State on Thursday asked that elections should be postponed in the state till September this year.

They also suggested that an interim government should be put in place to run the affairs of the state on the expiration of the tenure of the present administration on May 29, 2015.

Addressing a press conference under the name, Inter Party Advisory Council, Borno State chapter, in Maiduguri, it’s chairman, Comrade Babagana Musa, showed the signatures of 23 party chairmen, some who were at the conference.

He said the decision was taken by all other political parties except five — All Progressives Congress, Kowa Party, All Progressive Grand Alliance, Peoples Democratic Party and Africa Alliance.

He claimed that the decision taken after a careful consideration of the situation in Borno State, which he said showed that election could not be held in the troubled state.

Musa pointed to the non-distribution of the Permanent Voter Card in 175 polling units in the state, which represents approximately 500,000 yet to get their PVCs, as one of the reasons the polls should be shifted in the state.

Another reason, he added, was the alleged personal insecurity of opposition party official in the state; vandalisation of opposition party facilities and the indecent activities of the youth vigilance group.

Musa alleged that the thugs, who he claimed were sponsored by the state government, had been on the prowl against opposition politicians and the need to resettle the Internally Displaced Persons back to their homes.

He said, “Because of the foregoing reasons and others not mention here, we are calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission, being the electoral umpire, to extend the conduct of the 2015 general elections for six months i.e from March 28 to September 26, 2015. [Punch]