AFRICA/NIGERIA - On the eve of the vote 90% of the areas freed from Boko Haram; "Why was it not done before?"

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - Nigeria to vote tomorrow, March 28, to elect the new President. "The Nigerian press has already made predictions that the main opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, will get two-thirds of the vote", says Fr. Patrick Tor Alumuku, Director of Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Abuja.
The presidential and parliamentary elections which were to be held on February 14 were postponed for six weeks to allow the multinational military force responsible for combating Boko Haram, to reconquer areas controlled by the Islamist sect and to strengthen security in the northeast of Nigeria (see Fides 07/02/2015). As reported to Agenzia Fides by Mgr. Oliver Dashe Doeme, Bishop of Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, one of the areas in northern Nigeria most affected by the violence of Boko Haram, elections can be held in Maiduguri now (see Fides 25/03/2015).
However, there remains uncertainty in some areas in the north. "In those areas it is hard to imagine that regular elections will be held, given the large number of internally displaced persons", said Fr. Patrick. "According to some estimates, 80-90 percent of the occupied areas by Boko Haram have been freed in recent weeks by the army of Nigeria, with the help of Chad and Niger. One can see how the military offensive prepared itself in recent months thanks to the supply of weapons from South Africa, after Western countries, particularly the United States, refused to sell arms to Nigeria", continued the priest.
"In Nigeria, however, one wonders why, if our military had the ability to hunt Boko Haram, this was not done before, why now, on the eve of elections?" concludes Fr. Patrick. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 27/03/2015)