Jonathan Vows to Recover All LGs UnderBoko HaramBefore 2015Elections

A more confident President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday assured the internationalcommunity that the nation’s armed forces would recapture territories seized by Boko Haram in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states before the general elections.
Meanwhile, lessthan 24 hours after the ruling Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) passed a vote of confidenceon the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, the party Friday described the INEC Chairman as a liar with regard to preparedness for the elections.
Also on the same day, PDP’s Presidential Campaign Organisation (PCO) raised the alarm on an alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress(APC) to simulate attacks on someof its own leaders with a viewto accusing the PDP of being responsiblefor the attacks.
Jonathan who spoke whilehosting members of the diplomatic community in Nigeria to a cocktail party at the State House said the activitiesof the terrorists posed a big threat to the nation’s development.
He stressed that the adjustment of the dates of the conduct of electionwas necessary to provide somereasonable levelof security for the smooth implementation of the exercise.
The President added that the tensionthat followed the announcementwas therefore not necessary.
He argued that the six-weekshift of the electionwas not meant to wipe out Boko Haram as was misconstrued in some quarters but for the military to prepare well and modify the security infrastructure.
“The security people are not saying that they will wipe out Boko Haram before elections willbe conducted. But there are Boko Haram-related security issues and there were other security issuesthat were noticed during the period of campaigns which if we don’t prepare properly and modify the security architecture we normally use for elections, the country may go up in flames.
“This period willgive them the opportunity to clean up the three states. If at all they cannot clean up the three states, at least two states willbe recovered completelyand more local governments evenfrom the remaining state. So, that elections couldbe conducted even in Borno State.
“Even if we don’t take over all the territories in Borno State, definitely in Adamawa and Yobe states, we will take over completely. Even in Borno State, the headquarters of Boko Haram, even if we don’t take over completely, at least 70 per cent of that state willbe free for electionsto be conducted,” the president said.
He restated that the postponement of the general electionwas within the law and that the handover date remained May 29th.