Angry youths in Taraba reportedly harassed and chased out of their constituency, Garba Hammanjulde, a lawmaker representing Bali-Gassol federal constituency in the House of Representatives.
The incident occurred on Saturday at Central Primary School, Bali, when the lawmaker, who is also 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 (pure) water at him. The lawmaker, who apparently sustained some minor bruises on his head was immediately whisked away by security operatives deployed at the event,” said a resident, Muhammad Nayaya.
Confirming the incident to Premium Times, the Public Relations Officer of Bali chapter of the party, Bala Takalafiya, said party officials were overpowered by the youth.
He said the youth’s grievances may not be unconnected with a recent interview that the lawmaker granted to a media outfit where he allegedly attempted to “undermine the popularity of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
“That interview he granted to BBC did not go down well with the youth where he claimed to have the same popularity 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.
Another party member, Bello Garkuwa, said that “Hamman-Julde’s gift was a smack of mischief to 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. 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 election?”
Perhaps rattled by the mob action, a similar presentation of motorcycle keys that was billed for Mutum-Biyu in Gassol had to be postponed for security reasons.
When contacted on the phone, the embattled lawmaker promised to react to the incident when free. However, at the time of filing in this report, he is yet to react.
The police spokesman, David Misal, simply said: “We heard of the incident but yet to get details.”
