Former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism and Chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Niger State, Mr Jonathan Vatsa has expressed fears over the possibility of elections being held in Niger state next year due to the increasing spate of insecurity that has left several people displaced.
According to him, 36 Political Wards in four local government areas in the state have been deserted wondering how INEC would create voters registers for the residents of these wards who have been displaced as a result of the insecurity across the state.
Vatsa who took an x-ray of the current security situation in the state stated that if elections are to hold under the current bad security situation, such elections can never be said to be credible.
“Nine political wards each from Shiroro, Munya, Rafi and Paikoro local government areas have been deserted by the people with over 10,000 Internally Displaced People (IDP) from these wards taking refuge across the state.
“If five out of the nine local government areas in Niger East and five of the eight local government areas of Niger North are under the control of the terrorists/bandits, and with their recent unsuccessful invasion of Niger South, where will the elections take place.
“Will INEC create another voters registers for these people in IDP camps or it will de-enfranchise them. Will such elections be said to be credible when people have been sacked from their place of registration”, he asked.
Referring to the growing and disturbing security challenges across the state in the past months, Vatsa lamented that the entire state is now home to terrorists and bandits.
The former publicity secretary of Niger APC said that the insecurity situation has overwhelmed the state government while lamenting that the federal government has continued to pay lip service to the whole security situation in the state.
“The President ordered a military operation against the terrorists but we are yet to see that in operations and no explanation has been given as to why the operations haven’t kickstarted. The federal government needs to take the security situation in the state very seriously.”