The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, has ordered the immediate withdrawal of the Commissioner of Police on election duty in Adamawa State, Mohammed Barde.
The IGP has directed that the Commissioner of Police in charge of Gombe State, CP Etim Equa immediately proceed to Adamawa State for election security of the yet-to-be-concluded supplementary governorship poll.
Muyiwa Adejobi, the police spokesperson, made the announcement on Tuesday while briefing journalists in Abuja.
He noted that 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.
In addition, the police spokesperson 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.
Recalled INEC had on Sunday suspended collation for the Saturday supplementary governorship election in Adamawa after the INEC’s REC Yunusa-Ari announced Aisha Binani Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner over the incumbent, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The electoral umpire had immediately summoned Yunusa-Ari to Abuja and declared his announcement an invalid declaration and a usurpation of the powers of the collation and returning officer.
INEC also said it will write the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to probe and prosecute Ari, but the police are yet to receive the letter.
The withdrawal of the Commissioner of Police on election duty in Adamawa State and the deployment of another police officer to the state underscores the IGP’s commitment to ensuring that the collation of results is free, fair, and credible.
The police will work with other security agencies and stakeholders to ensure that the result collation is conducted peacefully and that the will of the people prevails.
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