The Peoples Democratic Party in Adamawa State has vowed to challenge the outcome of Saturday’s by-election for the Ganye State Constituency, accusing senior police officers of aiding the All Progressives Congress to rig the poll.
State PDP Chairman, Shehu Tahir, who spoke to Punch on Sunday, claimed that Assistant Inspector General of Police Taiwo Adeleke, who supervised election security, provided protection for APC leaders allegedly caught with sensitive election materials.
“Our party will go to court because the will of the people was brazenly violated,” Tahir said.
“The national vice chairman of APC Northeast, Mustapha Salisu, was caught with election materials in his vehicle in the presence of the AIG, yet he was allowed to move freely.”
According to him, “When I confronted AIG Adeleke on phone about the incident, he shamelessly responded that the materials were not used, which confirms he was aware of the manipulation. Let him know that former IG Balogun, Abacha, Buhari and others are no longer alive… they will all face God’s judgment for whatever they fraudulently accumulated.”
Tahir further warned that unless the court reverses the result, democracy in Nigeria could collapse ahead of the 2027 general elections. “If an AIG should head security for one state constituency election, then perhaps we need 109 IGs for National Assembly elections. Where is the APC government leading this country?” he asked.
Reacting, the Public Relations Officer of the Adamawa State Police Command, SP Suleiman Nguroje, confirmed that a box labelled INEC was found in Salisu’s car but dismissed claims of wrongdoing. “Yes, PDP complained, and a box with INEC name was seen in his vehicle. But after investigation, INEC officials confirmed it wasn’t their box,” Nguroje said.
Speaking for the APC, state publicity secretary Mohammed Abdullahi applauded the conduct of the electoral umpire. “The by-election was free, fair, and keenly contested. No political party was a pushover, but the APC emerged victorious,” he said.
It was learnt that Salisu and other top APC figures stayed at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s private residence in Ganye during the by-election.