Residents of Girei and Song Local Government Areas of Adamawa State staged a fresh protest on Tuesday by blocking 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 protesters arrived in large numbers carrying placards and singing solidarity songs. They blocked all entrances to the YEDC office, preventing workers and customers from entering the premises. As a result, employees of the electricity distribution company were forced to turn back because they could not access the office.
The residents accused YEDC of failing to restore electricity despite several meetings involving community leaders and other stakeholders. They said the company had repeatedly made promises, but there had been no improvement in power supply.
The protesters insisted they would not end the demonstration until electricity is restored to Girei and Song communities. They said the prolonged blackout has caused serious hardship by affecting businesses, healthcare services, students, artisans and the daily lives of residents.
Some of the demonstrators said they no longer have confidence in YEDC’s ability to provide reliable electricity and called for the company’s electricity distribution licence to be revoked.
They also appealed to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Adamawa State Government and other relevant authorities to urgently intervene and ensure electricity is restored to the affected communities.
One of the protesters said, “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.”
Another protester described the impact of the blackout, saying, “Businesses are collapsing, hospitals are struggling, students cannot study properly and artisans cannot work. We deserve better.”
YEDC had not issued any statement on the protest or responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report. Meanwhile, security personnel were deployed to the area to monitor the situation and maintain law and order.
The latest protest comes about a week after members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) demonstrated in Yola over reports that the party’s governorship candidate, Ambassador Engineer Omar Suleiman, popularly known as Omarana, could be replaced by businessman Abdulrahman Haske ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
During that protest, ADC supporters insisted that Omar Suleiman remained the party’s validly elected governorship candidate and 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 reports at the time, Omar Suleiman denied withdrawing from the race, saying, “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 appealed for calm, declaring, “There is absolutely no reason for panic,” while urging party members across the state to remain united despite internal disagreements.
