Taraba lawmaker flees after members of the public attack him while trying to buy over party officials

ANGRY members of the public in Taraba State stoned Hon Garba Hamman Julde their lawmaker in the House of Representatives elected to represent the Bali-Gassol Federal Constituency claiming he had neglected them since assuming office.

Citing failed representation and an abandonment of his constituents for more than two years, an angry mob vent its fury in public after the lawmaker presented 11 motorcycles and one car to ward executives and the local government chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bali Local Government Area of the state. One eye witness said that the lawmaker escaped with minor bruises before he was whisked away by policemen on duty at the venue of the event, Central Primary School, Bali.

Eyewitness, Musa Sandirde, said: “Trouble started after he ended his speech at the rostrum and was making way to present key of the motorcycles to the beneficiaries. There and then, some youths started chanting ba mu so in Hausa while at the same time throwing sand, stones and sachets of pure water at him."

He added that the constituents expressed their displeasure at the manner of Hon Julde’s representation and vowed to ensure he did not return to the parliament again in 2019. It appears that even APC officials are not happy with his performance.

One party executive at Bali, Ibrahim Daka, added: “He has completely abandoned the people that sent him to Abuja. For more than two years, he went missing, only for him to show up this weekend to say he was presenting eleven motorcycles and one car to ward and local government area party chairmen.

“He did that because elections are here and they are the people who will serve as delegates to elect party fag bearers again. However, the people he abandoned turned against him and showed their anger. We are not happy with him and we made our position clear."

Already, a plan to hold similar exercise in Mutum Biyu, Gassol Local Government Area, has been shelved for fear of breakdown of law and order. It now looks like local party officials will de-select Hon Julde at the APC primaries.