Angry youths stone, chase away Taraba Rep
From Tom Garba, in Yola
Hon Garba Hammanjulde, the representative of Bali-Gassol Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives has been pelted and chased out of his constituency by some angry youths.
The incident occurred on Saturday at Central Primary School in Bali, when the lawmaker, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ,visited the area to donate a car and 11 motorcycles to party officials in the council.
Hamman-Julde had just delivered his speech and was about to present the vehicles’ keys to the officials when irate youths in their hundreds threw sand, stones and sachet water at him.
The lawmaker who apparently sustained some minor bruises on his head was immediately whisked away by security operatives deployed to the event.
The Public Relations Officer of Bali chapter of the party, Bala Takalafiya, confirmed the incident to Politics Today, saying they did all they could to prevent the unfortunate situation , but they were overpowered by the youths.
He said the youths’ grievances may not be unconnected to a recent interview that Hamman-Julde granted to an international radio in which he allegedly attempted to undermine the popularity of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“ That interview he granted to BBC did not go down well with the youths who said he claimed to have the same popularity rating with President Buhari.
“ In the same interview, he said he is in favour of reordering of elections, a decision that many believe is a plot to unseat the president.
“ It is as a result of all these that they vowed to pelt him whenever he comes here,” Takalafiya said.
A member of the party, Bello Garkuwa, also told Politics Today t that Hamman-Julde’s gift smacked of mischief against the party loyalists in Bali.
“ Since we elected him to power, this is the first time he remembered to come and visit his constituency after almost two years, apparently because elections are around the corner” he added.
He then quried: “How can you abandon the party all this long, only for you to show up with 11 motorcycles just to lure delegates in the upcoming elections?
“ I will advise him to start searching for what to do after this election because we, in Bali, have already decided on who we will support in 2019,” Garkuwa said.
Politics Today reports that similar presentation of motorcycle keys that was billed for Mutum-Biyu in Gassol had to be postponed for security reasons.
When contacted on phone, the lawmaker promised to react to the incident as soon as he arrives Jalingo from Garba-Chede trip.
