All is set for election in Borno state

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has assured residents of Borno state of its readiness to conduct elections in the state.

All 23 out of 27 Local Government Areas LGAs of the state where the election is scheduled to hold have received sensitive and non-sensitive materials and polls are ready to open by 8.30 as stipulated by INEC.

This was disclosed by the Borno State Resident Electoral Commissioner, (REC), Ibrahim Mohammed.

According to INEC, Borno state has 2,513,281 registered voters with 2,447,209 collected PVCs which is a 97 percent rate of collection.

In some LGAs where there is still enduring security challenges, the REC explained that eligible voters will cast their votes in super camps which would be cleared for them in schools of government buildings.

The LGAs are Guzamala, Marte, Abadam and Kukawa. Voters from Guzamala are to vote at Gajiram and Nganzai LGAs while their counterparts from Marte LGA are to assemble at the local government headquarters, Monguno LGA, for the exercise.

Voters from Abadam LGA are to exercise their franchise at Damasak and Mobbar LGAs; while their counterparts from Kukawa LGA also gather at Monguno to cast their votes.

Borno state which has experienced a spate of insurgency by Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists have in recent times enjoyed relative peace due to the improved efforts of the security agencies in reclaiming most of the captured areas.

In Maiduguri, the state Capital, there is a high level of preparedness because, despite the issues of cash crunch and lingering fuel crisis, residents are eager to go to the polls.

On election morning, most of the areas in the capital are relatively calm in anticipation of the opening of polls.

There is also a high presence of security personnel on the streets who are deployed to enforce law and order.  

Some of the residents interviewed before the opening of polls attributed their eagerness to their inability to vote in 2019.

“In 2019, there was a heavy bomb blast on election morning which hindered so many of us from casting our votes. Also, many indigenes of Borno state were displaced due to activities of Boko Haram, but there is peace in Maiduguri now and we are eager,” a resident, Babagana Modu said.

Dominica Nwabufo