Boko Haram insurgents prevent Gaidam from voting

Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State was prevented from travelling and voting at Bukarti, following Boko Haram early morning attacks on Geidam military base.

Bukarti is the governor’s country home, and is 230 kilometres north of Damaturu, the state capital.The travel postponement was announced in a statement by Abdullahi Bego, Director General, media affairs to the Governor, issued yesterday in Damaturu.

Bego noted: “The security agencies would naturally seek to reinforce and increase security around the governor for him to travel to cast his vote at Bukarti.“The increased security around the governor will mean that vital security resources that are needed elsewhere in the state would have to be diverted and allocated to the governor.”

The Guardian, yesterday, learnt that Governor Gaidam, in consultation with security agencies, decided it was more prudent and safer to make the sacrifice.“It is better and more useful for the security agents, including soldiers, police, civil defence and DSS to focus their attention on providing security for the election than devoting large security contingent for the governor to cast his vote,” Bego said. Gaidam, who is also a senatorial candidate in the Presidential and
National Assembly elections, commended security agencies for their effort to ensure a peaceful and successful election across the state.