By Musa Tanimu Nasidi
A Chieftain of APC in Niger State and former Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Jonathan Vatsa on Wednesday declared that elections may not hold in Niger state if the current security situation is allowed to continue till 2023.
The APC chieftain while speaking on the current security situation in the state, concluded that if elections are allowed to take place in the state under the current insecurity situation, such elections can never be said to be credible.
Reacting to growing security challenges across the state in the last one month, especially the killing of over 60 vigilantes on Monday night in Rijau, Tungan Magajiya and Sakaba, Vatsa said the entire three political zones of the state have now been overrun by rampaging gunmen, adding that “the entire state is now home to terrorists and bandits”.
The former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism argued that “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?” he asked.
Vatsa disclosed that about nine political wards, each from Shiroro, Munya, Rafi and Paikoro local government areas have been deserted with over 10,000 Internally Displaced People (IDP) taking refuge across the state.
According to him “will INEC create another voters register 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?”
According to Vatsa, while the situation seems to have overwhelmed the state government after spending enormous resources, federal government has continued to pay lip service to the whole security situation in the state, adding that the military operation against the terrorists that was ordered by Mr. President is yet to see the light of the day.
He described as wicked and insane, the gruesome murder of over 60 vigilante members from Sakaba (Kebbi state) and Rijau and Tungan Magajiya (Niger state) on Monday night by the terrorists, stressing that “human life is now cheaper than anything else in Nigeria because some people are above the law of the land”.
He warned the federal government to take the security situation in the state very serious because “if Niger state does not have peace, the Federal Capital will also not sleep with her eyes closed due to the proximity.”
