Adamawa PDP to Challenge Ganye By-Election in Court, Alleges Security Complicity
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State, Shehu Tahir, has announced that the party will challenge the outcome of last Saturday’s Ganye state constituency by-election in court, accusing security agencies of aiding the All Progressives Congress (APC) in manipulating the exercise.
Speaking in Yola on Sunday, Tahir alleged that the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of the election security, Taiwo Adeleke, provided cover for the APC to tamper with the electoral process.
According to him, the APC’s National Vice Chairman Northeast, Mustapha Salisu, was caught with election materials in his vehicle but was allowed to go free under the watch of the AIG.
“The national vice chairman of APC Northeast, Mustapha Salisu, was caught with election materials in his vehicle in the presence of the AIG, and he allowed him to go about freely without arresting him.
When I called the AIG in the night and drew his attention to the incident, he told me Salisu did not use the election materials, which clearly shows he was aware of the manipulation deal,” Tahir alleged.
Tahir, while likening the incident to historical cases of abuse of power, warned that the survival of Nigeria’s democracy could be threatened if such practices were not addressed. “If the Ganye bye-election is not revised by the court of competent jurisdiction, democracy will come to an end in 2027,” he said. He further criticized the security arrangement, arguing that if an AIG had to oversee a state constituency election, then by implication “109 Inspectors General” would be required for National Assembly polls.
Reacting to the claims, the Adamawa State Police Command spokesman, SP Suleiman Nguroje, confirmed that a box labeled with INEC’s name was found in Salisu’s car but said investigations showed it did not belong to the electoral body. “Yes, PDP complained that Salisu was in possession of election materials. A box with the INEC name was found in his car, but after investigation, INEC officials said it was not their box,” Nguroje explained.
Meanwhile, the APC in Adamawa dismissed the allegations, describing the election as transparent and fair. The party’s state publicity secretary, Mohammed Abdullahi, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he termed a credible process. “The by-election was keenly contested. No party was a pushover, but APC came out victorious,” he said.
Reports also indicated that Salisu and other top APC figures were accommodated at the private residence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Ganye during the poll.
With the PDP heading to court, the legal battle over the Ganye by-election appears set to intensify the political rivalry between the ruling party in Adamawa and the APC.
