Jonathan: We Can’t Wipe Out Boko Haram Before Elections
Saturday, 14 February 2015 05:02
Nigerian Daily Trust
Written by Isiaka Wakili
President Goodluck Jonathan has clarified that the security forces are not saying they will wipe out the Boko Haram insurgency before the General Elections. He clarified this at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday while hosting members of the diplomatic corps. He said with three states suffering from insurgency, conducting elections there might be difficult, stressing that the six-month adjustment of the election dates would enable the security agencies to “clean up” affected states.
On the postponement of the elections, he said: “Security reasons were alluded. Some people asked, will Nigeria wipe out Boko Haram within six weeks if in six years, we were unable to do so? And I said no. The security people are not saying they will wipe out Boko Haram before elections will be conducted. But there are Boko Haram related-security issues and there were other security issues that were noticed during the period of campaigns which, if we don’t prepare properly and modify the security architecture we normally use for elections, the country may go up in flames.”
Jonathan also said: “Democracy can only be meaningful if people are allowed to select who rules them. In a situation where you have maybe 30 percent of people having PVCs, that is some kind of security threat.” He said when security issues are mentioned, it is not limited to Boko Haram. “And the security people didn’t say they must wipe out Boko Haram before the elections will be conducted,” he added.
Jonathan added that even in 2011, there was the Boko Haram problem but elections were conducted.
“So we’ll surely conduct elections as scheduled, I promise you, as scheduled and on the 29th of May, inauguration will take place to bring in the next president of this country,” he said.
Jonathan said Nigeria is now in position to tackle Boko Haram, especially with the position taken by the AU. “Our neighbours - Chad, Cameroon, Niger - are also keying in,” he said, adding that while in the past there was no intentional agreement or binding force, “Now the barriers have been handled and so we would move faster and in the next few weeks, you’ll witness significant changes.”
Jonathan had earlier said: “This is an interesting moment in our country. There two things that make it interesting. First, is the issue of terror.” He continued that the rising challenge made it necessary to forge ahead on collaboration with Nigeria’s immediate neighbours and sub-regional allies. “Just like we boldly dealt with threat of ebola, we’re determined to decisively deal with insurgency and thereby secure our country,” he said.
The president also said the next crucial issue is that of the elections. “Of course, you’re aware of the colourful campaigns, especially those led by the key political parties, the PDP and the APC. There’s so much tension, especially when elections were readjusted. Initially, the international community thought that readjusting the elections would automatically mean shifting the date for inaugurating the new president.”
Nigerian Daily Trust
Written by Isiaka Wakili
President Goodluck Jonathan has clarified that the security forces are not saying they will wipe out the Boko Haram insurgency before the General Elections. He clarified this at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday while hosting members of the diplomatic corps. He said with three states suffering from insurgency, conducting elections there might be difficult, stressing that the six-month adjustment of the election dates would enable the security agencies to “clean up” affected states.
On the postponement of the elections, he said: “Security reasons were alluded. Some people asked, will Nigeria wipe out Boko Haram within six weeks if in six years, we were unable to do so? And I said no. The security people are not saying they will wipe out Boko Haram before elections will be conducted. But there are Boko Haram related-security issues and there were other security issues that were noticed during the period of campaigns which, if we don’t prepare properly and modify the security architecture we normally use for elections, the country may go up in flames.”
Jonathan also said: “Democracy can only be meaningful if people are allowed to select who rules them. In a situation where you have maybe 30 percent of people having PVCs, that is some kind of security threat.” He said when security issues are mentioned, it is not limited to Boko Haram. “And the security people didn’t say they must wipe out Boko Haram before the elections will be conducted,” he added.
Jonathan added that even in 2011, there was the Boko Haram problem but elections were conducted.
“So we’ll surely conduct elections as scheduled, I promise you, as scheduled and on the 29th of May, inauguration will take place to bring in the next president of this country,” he said.
Jonathan said Nigeria is now in position to tackle Boko Haram, especially with the position taken by the AU. “Our neighbours - Chad, Cameroon, Niger - are also keying in,” he said, adding that while in the past there was no intentional agreement or binding force, “Now the barriers have been handled and so we would move faster and in the next few weeks, you’ll witness significant changes.”
Jonathan had earlier said: “This is an interesting moment in our country. There two things that make it interesting. First, is the issue of terror.” He continued that the rising challenge made it necessary to forge ahead on collaboration with Nigeria’s immediate neighbours and sub-regional allies. “Just like we boldly dealt with threat of ebola, we’re determined to decisively deal with insurgency and thereby secure our country,” he said.
The president also said the next crucial issue is that of the elections. “Of course, you’re aware of the colourful campaigns, especially those led by the key political parties, the PDP and the APC. There’s so much tension, especially when elections were readjusted. Initially, the international community thought that readjusting the elections would automatically mean shifting the date for inaugurating the new president.”
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