Adamawa Governor Says No Regrets Over Calls For Postponement Of February Polls, Slams Abuja Politicians

Bala NgilariThe Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Bala Ngillari, has restated his call for the postponement of the February 2015 general elections.

Mr. Ngillari said he maintains his stance despite the flaks that trailed his earlier similar statement on the issue.

“I owe no one apology for demanding extension of elections”, the governor said, adding that “some Abuja based politicians are unpatriotic who do not have the interest of the people at heart”.

The governor, who was speaking at a town hall meeting of the Adamawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, organised by the Minister of Women Affairs, Zainab Maina, in Yola, the state capital, insisted that next month’s elections, particularly in the state, was not the most important to the citizens.

“It was disheartening that some citizens of the state who are residing outside the state with their families ignore the reality on the ground”, he said.

“Election is not the most important to our hundreds of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

“I remain unrepentant on that issue despite the fact that l was shouted down”, Mr. Ngillari said.

The governor said his position was based on security reports available to him on the Boko Haram crisis in the state and the north east in general.

“I owe the people of the state a duty to care and protect their constitutional rights and nothing will deter me doing that”, he said.

In her remarks, Hajia Maina urged Nigerians to pray for peaceful conduct of next month’s polls.

She said the aim of the meeting was to bring together all women in the state to discuss politics.

She said women and youth would mobilise and vote for President Goodluck Jonathan and other PDP candidates in the February general elections.