IGP replaces Adamawa CP amidst election controversies
Following the controversies surrounding the supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, has ordered the immediate replacement of Adamawa State Commissioner of Police Mohammed Barde with the Commissioner of Police in charge of Gombe State, CP Etim Equa.
Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, while addressing pressmen on Tuesday in Abuja, said the IGP ordered CP Equa to proceed to the state and ensure election security of the yet-to-be-concluded supplementary governorship poll.
He said, “The IGP has given a directive that the commissioner of police on election security in Adamawa State, CP Barde should pull out of Adamawa State and the Commissioner of Police in charge of Gombe State, CP Etim Equa, to proceed to Adamawa immediately, to go and supervise the election and provide the necessary information and ensure that the process is a success.”
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Adejobi also said the IGP has yet to receive any letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seeking the probe and prosecution of its embattled Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa, Hudu Yunusa Ari.
Meanwhile, the collation of results has resumed in the state capital.
INEC had on Sunday suspended collation for the Saturday supplementary governorship election in Adamawa after Ari announced Aisha Binani Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election, while the result collation was still in process.
INEC had immediately summoned Ari to Abuja and declared his announcement an invalid declaration and a usurpation of the powers of the collation and returning officer.
Before the collation exercise was suspended on Saturday night, results from 10 LGAs had been announced — and Binani was trailing Fintiri.
The collation of results from the remaining 10 LGAs was expected to commence by 11 am on Sunday, and Mele Lamido, the returning officer for the Adamawa governorship election, was not present when Ari announced Binani as the winner of the election.
According to the constitution, Lamido is the rightful official empowered to declare the winner of the election.
