How Borno State Successfully Held Local Government Elections Despite Insurgency

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By Stella Williams

Amid insurgency in the North Eastern part of Nigeria, the Governor Babagana Zulum led administration has successfully conducted local government election in the state after many years as a result of protracted unrest in what many people termed the first of it’s kind.

The Governor had in his message to the people of the state ahead of the election urged the people to come out enmasse to exercise the power of their thumbs in choosing their desired leader at the grassroots level after many years.

Governor Zulum had urged the people to be law abiding while excersing their franchise, warning that all security agencies in the state had been directed to maintain law and order during the polls.

To all intents and purposes, the Governor was heard and the people went out to vote for the candidate of their choice.

In his reaction, the state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Usman Kadafur noted that though other states has conducted local government election, “but due to insurgency, it took us time to conduct this election.

“We had to put in a lot of things in place before we conduct this election.

“We implore those who are coming in to follow the example of Prof. Engr. Babagana Zulum by delivering the dividend of democracy to the people at the grassroots”, he said.

Also speaking to journalists at hawul, local government Secretariat, the honorable member representing Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Haruna Mshelia noted that the election was peaceful, the people are happy with the exercise, we have 12 wards.

“This is the most peaceful election I have ever attended”, adding that “BOSIEC has done a great job”.

In his view, the state Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Yerima Saleh, an Architect, also described the election as peaceful, and adviced the elected chairmen to tow the line of the current administration in the state to take governance to the people at the grassroots.

Chairman-elect of Hawul Local Government promised to focus on education, health,water, agriculture amongst other things to bring about development to his people.

Earlier, the executive chairman, Borno State Independent Electoral Commission (BOSIEC), Alhaji Abdu Usman, said a total of six political parties participated in the election in 534 polling units in the 312 wards of the 27 local government areas in the state.

He added that election were conducted in four internally displaced persons camp of Abadan, Guzamala, Marte and Kukawa, adding that two wards held their election in Baga, hence they relocated to their ancestral homes in Baga town.

This post has already been read at least 112795 times!