Ahead of Saturday’s governorship by-election in Adamawa State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said tuesday that there would be no election in two local government areas in the state due to violence.

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The two local government areas -- Madagali and Michika -- are believed to still be under the control of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, which has been terrorising the north-eastern part of the country.

Apart from Madagali and Michika, INEC also said there was "constant state of fear, insurgency, thuggery, violence and ballot box snatching" in Maha, Mubi North and South local government areas.

Already, INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, is in Yola, the state capital, to assess the situation in the state.   Both sensitive and non-sensitive materials for the election are expected to be sent to the state before Friday.

INEC Director of Voters’ Education and Publicity (VEP), Oluwole
Osaze-Uzzi, who confirmed this yesterday in a press briefing, attributed the commission’s decision to the increased violence in the two local governments in question, but refused to state how this would affect the outcome of the election.

“Anything can affect the result of the election but we cannot determine that until after the election. The constitution is clear on this," he added.

Adamawa State has 21 local government areas and to emerge as governor, the constitution says the candidate, in addition to securing the highest number of votes cast in the election, shall score not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in at least two-thirds of all the local government areas of the state.

However, INEC expressed joy that people who deserted their homes in the wake of the violence and other security challenges in the three local government areas are returning home.

The Nigerian armed forces are still battling to dislodge members of the Boko Haram sect who have annexed some communities in the state.

Last Monday, about 71 members of the sect were killed in a gun battle with the military.

Seven political parties and their candidates have been cleared to participate in the election, which is aimed at replacing the impeached governor of the state, Admiral Murtala Nyako.

One of the candidates in the election, the acting governor, Alhaji Umaru Fintirin, is from Madagali council area, and if the election does not take place in his council area, not only would he lose home-base support, he may not even be able to vote for himself.

A total of 1.5 million registered voters are expected to cast their votes in 2,609 polling units in the state.

But in an attempt to ensure that the insecurity in Michika and Madagali councils does not disenfranchise the electorate in the two local government areas, Fintiri has disclosed that efforts are being made to ensure that the 40,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the two council areas displaced by Boko Haram insurgents cast their votes in Yola, the state capital, during the by-election.

The acting governor made the disclosure while addressing thousands of IDPs who paid him a visit at the Government House in Yola as he noted that modalities would be put in place by INEC to enable those taking refuge in Yola, to cast their votes.

Fintiri noted that he would prefer that the displaced persons cast their votes in Yola as he asserted that over 60 per cent of the IDPs are resident in Yola and would be less burdensome for the electoral body and the electorate in terms of proximity.

He further revealed that there has been relative improvement in the security situation in the two council areas, adding that the IDPs would not be denied their rights to vote in the coming by-election.

“I have created confidence in them for the past eight years as their former representative in the Adamawa State House of Assembly and l still intend to sustain the confidence by making sure that they are not disenfranchised in the coming by-election of the state,” he said.

He also declared that the state and the federal government are in solidarity with them, as reflected in the relative breakthrough experienced by Nigerian troops in the fight against the insurgents in recent times.

“The government is in touch with security agencies in the state and are keeping the state government abreast of the breakthrough in the war-torn areas of Madagali, Gulak, Michika and their environs and still awaiting the update on the recent situation,” he said.

The acting governor described their plight as disturbing, but added that the government would make sure that the security agencies expedite action towards making sure that they returned home given the dislodgement of the insurgents by the Nigerian troops.

Fintiri also disclosed that all necessary relief materials were distributed to all the displaced persons in their respective places where they are presently taking refuge as he realised that over 40 per cent of the displaced persons in the two council areas are resident in Yola, the state capital.