The Presidency has explained why it is confident that the military will be able to contain Boko Haram activities in the North Eastern part of the country in six weeks ahead of the rescheduled general elections.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said the African Union Protocol, which now enables African forces, especially Nigeria’s neighbouring countries to forge a common front in fighting the insurgents, is a major factor.
Featuring on a Channels Television programme, Sunrise, on Saturday, Okupe said until recently when the AU Protocol came into force, Nigerian troops could not chase Boko Haram fighters across the borders.
He, therefore, expressed delight that with the troops from the neighbouring countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon joining forces with Nigeria, within a few weeks, the insurgents would be defeated.
Also, the presidential senior aide said the Nigerian military now has newly trained ‘Special Forces’ on ground to fight the terrorists.
According to him, the expertise of the Special Forces, who were trained in the aspect of counter-insurgency, is already helping a great deal in pushing the insurgents away.
Okupe insisted that the government should not be blamed “for the inadequacy of the Independent National Electoral Commission”.
He added that 20 million Permanent Voter Cards are yet to be distributed, while the Card Readers have not been tested to ascertain efficiency.
The elections had to be postponed to forestall crisis and to ensure credibility, Okupe said, adding: “It was obvious that INEC was not ready.”