From Olukayode Idowu
Six political parties are to slug it out at the local government elections holding in Borno State today, the State Independent Electoral Commission (BOSIEC) has said.
Addressing a press conference on Friday in Maiduguri on plan towards a hitch-free local government election in Borno State, the Executive Chairman of BOSIEC, Alhaji Abdu Usman, said six political parties have registered to participate in the Saturday (today)’s local government elections, the first to be conducted in the state in the last 13 years.
He said 38 candidates will contest for chairmanship positions in the 27 local government areas, while 362 candidates will contest for councillorship positions across the 312 wards in the state.
Usman while giving a rundown of the political parties to participate in the elections, said :”16 political parties informed the commission of their readiness to participate in the local government elections at the inception of electioneering, 10 of those political parties conducted primaries to determine candidates for the chairmanship and councillorship positions, but only six parties bought forms, filled and returned them to the commission.
“The six political parties are ACCORD, ADC, APC, APGA, PDP and SDP and they will be contesting for chairmanship and councillorship positions in MMC, Jere, Ngala, Chibok, Askira/Uba, Mobbar and Kwayar-Kusar local governments areas, while the remaining 18 local government areas have no opposition candidates other than the ruling APC.”
He further explained that because of the hostile security situation in some local government areas, elections in those areas will hold in IDP camps.
He said: “Elections for Abadam, Guzamala, Marte local government areas as well as eight wards of kukawa local government will hold in the IDPs camps hosting residents of those local governments, while the remaining two wards of kukawa local government will be conducted at their wards.
“There are 3,931 voting units spread across the 312 wards, but due to some logistical and security purposes, we have created additional voting points, bringing the total of voting points to 5024.”
Usman said for transparency purpose, councillorship results shall be announced at the ward level, chairmanship results at the local government collation centres while the official declaration of final results will be done at the commission’s headquarters.
Usman disclosed that 27 returning officers and electoral officers each have been recruited for the elections while 312 ward returning officers and 444 supervisory returning officers have also been hired and trained to conduct the elections, adding that the elections will take place tomorrow, 28 November, 2020 from 8am to 2pm.
Meanwhile the police in the state have announced restriction in vehicles movement in the state during the people of the election on Saturday.
Our correspondent reports that two professors are vying for Chairmanship positions in Damboa and Gwoza local government areas on the platform of the ruling APC.