A fresh protest has erupted in Adamawa State as residents of Girei and Song Local Government Areas barricaded the entrance to the headquarters of the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) in Yola over what they described as more than two months of uninterrupted power outage in their communities.
The protest comes barely a week after members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) staged a demonstration in Yola over alleged attempts to replace the party’s governorship candidate, Ambassador Engineer Omar Suleiman, popularly known as Omarana, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The latest demonstrators arrived in large numbers carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs as they blocked all entrances to the YEDC office, preventing workers and customers from accessing the premises. The action forced employees of the electricity distribution company to turn back after finding the facility completely shut off by the protesters.
The aggrieved residents accused YEDC of failing to restore electricity to their communities despite several meetings and engagements involving community leaders and other stakeholders. They alleged that every assurance given by the company had ended without any visible improvement in electricity supply.
The protesters declared that they would not end the demonstration until electricity is restored to Girei and Song communities. According to them, the prolonged blackout has caused severe hardship, crippled businesses, disrupted livelihoods, affected healthcare services and made it difficult for students and artisans to carry out their daily activities.
Some of the demonstrators said they had completely lost confidence in YEDC’s ability to provide reliable electricity and called for the revocation of the company’s electricity distribution licence.
They appealed to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Adamawa State Government and other relevant authorities to urgently intervene and ensure that electricity is restored to the affected communities.
“Our communities have been in darkness for more than two months. We have attended meetings and listened to promises, but nothing has changed. We will continue this protest until electricity is restored,” one of the protesters said during the demonstration.
Another protester lamented the impact of the blackout on daily life, saying, “Businesses are collapsing, hospitals are struggling, students cannot study properly and artisans cannot work. We deserve better.”
YEDC has yet to release a statement on the protest or respond to the allegations made by the residents. Meanwhile, security personnel were deployed to the area and were seen monitoring the situation to ensure that law and order were maintained.
The latest demonstration adds to a series of recent protests witnessed in Adamawa. Last week, supporters of the ADC took to the streets of Yola over reports alleging plans to replace the party’s governorship candidate, Omar Suleiman, with businessman Abdulrahman Haske ahead of the 2027 election.
The ADC protesters insisted that Omar Suleiman remained the validly elected governorship candidate of the party and should not be substituted under any circumstance. Carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, they urged the party’s national leadership, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and other stakeholders to protect internal democracy and respect the wishes of party members.
Responding to the controversy at the time, Omar Suleiman dismissed reports that he had withdrawn from the race. He said, “I remain fully committed to my campaign, my vision, and my unwavering determination to serve the people of Adamawa State.”
In another address to supporters, he also urged party members not to panic, declaring, “There is absolutely no reason for panic,” while calling on members across the state to remain united despite internal disagreements.