Published by Inusah Dondaliya

6th March 2026

Haruna Institute, a political advocacy group affiliated to the Tamale South MP, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu has strongly dismissed allegations that the Lawmaker has influenced the withdrawal of the IGP’s Special Operations Team from Tamale.

According to the Haruna Institute, the Education Minister has no involvement in the operations of the police team neither meddled into their modus operandi, describing the reports linking him to the withdrawal of the ‘Black Maria Team’ as vile propaganda against him, vicious and malicious attempt to tarnish his reputation.

In a letter issued today, 6th March 2026, by CEO of Haruna Institute, Abdul Ganiu Sandow, stated that the MP serves no advisory role to the IGP neither the Police Council, hence cannot not be dragged into this matter, urging the general public to treat it with all the contempt it deserves.

“We wish to state,categorically and for the record,that the Hon.Haruna Iddrisu holds no advisory role to the Inspector General of Police(IGP),nor is he a member of the Police Council.He is,therefore,not clothed with any authority,statutory or otherwise to direct or influence the IGP in the execution of his official duties.Any suggestion to the contrary is false,malicious,and intended to mislead the public”.

Since the news broke in connection with the withdrawal of the IGP’s Special Operations Team from Tamale, Politicians from the Northern Region have been badly accused of orchestrating their exit with pointification of fingers at Hon. Haruna Iddrisu as the chief architect.

Against this backdrop, Haruna Institute has cleared the air, detaching the Lawmaker from all controversies engulfing the withdrawal of the Black Maria Team from operating in the Northern Region

The Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yahuno has asked the IGP special Operations Team in Tamale to withdraw services with immediate effect.

This follows calls from several quarters in Dagbon including traditional rulers and some politicians demanding the removal of the special taskforce team from Tamale over what they describe as excesses perpetrated by the IGP’s Operations Team.

Among other things, a prominent traditional ruler in Dagbon recently accused the leader of the IGP’s Special Operations Team, DSP Alhaj Jalil Bawah of desecrating traditional authority in Dagbon after he led his team to arrest suspects at his palace.

Speaking to Alhaj Jalil Bawah, he has confirmed the directive by the IGP asking him to stop operations in Tamale and move his team to Accra as soon as possible for further instructions.

Ghananewsnet.com has gathered that a powerful politician in the Northern Region is displeased with the operations of the team and has meddled into their affairs, ordering the police hierarchy to stop the special operations team from operating in Tamale with immediate effect.

Since assigned to the Northern Region, the IGP’s Special Operation Team has been clamping down on criminals engaged in illicit drugs sale, and also arresting
youth consumed by hard drugs.

Their efforts have yielded possitive results as the sale of the drugs has substantially received a decline in the region with many of the youth also abstaining from the menace.

Published by Inusah Dondaliya

5th March 2026

At the Tamale Metropolitan Presiding Membership elections being held today at the Assembly’s auditorium supervised by the Electoral Commission of Ghana, a clear cut winner was not produced as each candidate failed to meet the threshold of two-thirds majority of the votes.

While the incumbent Fuseini Okasha obtained 27 votes out of the 58 ballot votes cast. Iddrisu Ibrahim, who is 2nd on the ballot pulled a stunner, after gaining 30 votes pushing the contest to second round.

The two candidates are standing for the Tamale Metro PM election, with the Incumbent PM, Fuseini Okasha who doubles as Buglanfong Electoral Area Assembly Member, facing fierce competition from Changli Electoral area Assembly Member, Iddrisu Ibrahim.

The duo vied for the same elections in the previous contest two years ago. Following similar circumstances not producing a clear winner, the Assembly Member of Changli stepped down to allow the current PM had the nod.

Under similar outcome of results, with the PM trailing Mr. Iddrisu Ibrahim this year’s contest, the former refused to stepdown for confirmation of the latter following extensive dialogue.

Reports gathered indicate that the PM’s refusal to step down is in breach of consensus built among Assembly Members prior to the elections, who had all agreed on simple majority following their serious of meeting.

Speculations further rife that the Mayor of Tamale endorses the candidature of the current MP, while the front runner now, attracts majority support from the Assembly Members.

At the time of filing this report, the Electoral Commission has suspended the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly’s Presiding Member elections indefinitely following difficulty in reaching a common ground.