1million Boko Haram Victims Can’t Vote In 2015

More than a million Nigerians displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States may not be able to vote in the February’s general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said yesterday.

The only condition that will make them eligible to vote is if the Electoral Act is amended before the elections, the electoral agency added.

Besides, the election results may be challenged in court if such a large number of people is disenfranchised.

The National Assembly returns to plenary today after a vacation to enable members attend party congresses where candidates were picked for all states and local elections.

“Unless the act is amended, the IDPs (internally displaced persons) issue could expose the election to legal challenges by the losing party,” INEC spokesman Kayode Idowu, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Idowu added: “INEC is hoping that some amendment will happen to the legal framework to make it feasible for IDPs to vote,” Idowu said.

INEC is in the process of identifying displaced persons camps and counting the number of people potentially excluded, Idowu said.

Many of the displaced are in small groups scattered across the country.

President Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will be challenged by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the elections which is expected to be the first real test of the PDP’s strength. The PDP has been ruling the country since the return to democracy in 1999.

The fragmented opposition came together to form the APC.

Two of the states under a state of emergency – Borno and Yobe – as a result of the insurgency and where people are displaced, are controlled by the APC. Adamawa State is controlled by the PDP.

Maiduguri, the Borno State capital is believed to be harbouring almost a million displaced people. About 20 local government areas in the state are controlled by the insurgents.

The insurgency could also mean some local government areas in three northeastern states may be prevented from holding the ballot if the army deems it too dangerous, Idowu said.

Thousands of people have been killed. Bombs, ambushes and raids on towns occur on a near-daily basis in the region.