Residents and officials in Nigeria’s northern Borno state have expressed their disappointment after the electoral commission announced it would postpone elections until March 28, six weeks later than planned.
Attahiru Jega, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said late on Saturday that security chiefs advised a postponement as troops would not be available because of operations against the armed group in the north – especially in Borno state.
“If the security of personnel, voters, election observers and election material cannot be guaranteed, the lives of innocent young men and women and the prospect of free, fair and credible elections will be greatly jeopardised,” Jega said.
But residents and officials in Borno state told Al Jazeera they believed the elections should have gone ahead as planned on February 14.