The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, has ordered the immediate redeployment of Adamawa State Commissioner of Police (CP) on election duty, Mohammed Barde, while the Commissioner of Police in charge of Gombe State, CP Etim Equa, has been ordered to proceed to Adamawa State for election security. This is in a bid to ensure a peaceful and successful conclusion of the yet-to-be-concluded supplementary governorship poll in the state. The redeployment comes after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suspended the collation of results for the Saturday supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State.
Before the collation exercise was suspended, results from 10 Local Government Areas (LGAs) had been announced, with Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) trailing incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The collation of results from the remaining 10 LGAs was expected to commence by 11 am on Sunday, but the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa Ari, announced Binani as the winner, which was immediately declared an invalid declaration by INEC.
Following this announcement, INEC summoned Ari to Abuja and declared his announcement as an usurpation of the powers of the collation and returning officer. INEC has also stated that it will write to the IGP to probe and prosecute Ari, but the police have yet to receive the letter. The IGP has, however, reaffirmed his commitment to a free and fair process and has instructed that the new CP should provide necessary information and ensure a successful conclusion of the election in Adamawa State