AFRICA/NIGERIA - "Boko Haram failed to prevent the holding of elections", says the Bishop of Maiduguri

Monday, 30 March 2015

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - "The elections were held in a calm manner in Maiduguri, without violence or crisis caused by Boko Haram" says His Exc. 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, the Islamist sect born in this very city, describing the climate with which the presidential and parliamentary elections were held on March 28.
"Despite the attacks by Boko Haram in different locations, mostly rural, in northern Nigera, which unfortunately caused several victims, the Islamist sect failed to prevent the holding of elections in most of Nigeria", said the Bishop.
As reported by the Nigerian press, dozens of people were killed in attacks carried out by the Islamist sect while the Nigerian army continued to hit Boko Haram also with air strikes.
"The only serious problem were that card readers failed to recognize the fingerprints of voters, which forced them to return several times to the polls to vote", said Mgr. Doeme. A problem that was found a bit all over the country, to the point that in some areas the vote was extended to Sunday, March 29 to allow voters to vote.
Despite these problems Mgr. Doeme concludes on a note of optimism: "We can be satisfied, because elections were not affected by the violence of Boko Haram. This is already a good result". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 30/03/2015)


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