YOLA/By Tom Garba – The House of Representatives member representing Bali-Gassol, Garba Hamman-Julde, says media reports suggesting that he was pelted with stones in his constituency was blown out of proportion, saying elders from the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bali have apologized to him.
Mr. Hamman-Julde told newsmen in Jalingo, Taraba capital on Monday that the incident that occurred in his constituency was simply a case of “people scrambling for scarce resources.”
“All what I know is that I visited Bali on Saturday purposely to present vehicles, cloths, food items and other valuables to our party leaders as a way of appreciating their support for our party, the All Progressives Congress(APC)
“But because the large crowd exceeded what we earlier thought will be present at the gathering, there was a commotion which led to some inconveniences.
“Naturally, when many people are scrambling for resources that are not commensurate to their number, there is bound to be a stampede and sometimes even scuffles.
“That was what happened. And if I can recall correctly, the windscreen of one of my vehicles was damaged in that process.
“Consequently, I directed that the vehicles and other valuables be taken to the nearby police station so that the sharing process could continue without hitches,” he said.
The lawmaker, however, said already a high-powered delegation comprising of elders from the council had visited him to apologize for the unfortunate incident.
“A team of respected elders from the area visited me to apologize for the incident. The fact remains that Bali people have demonstrated a high sense of responsibility on this one.
“It is on this note that I want to tell you that we are planning to provide more gifts to the good people of Bali for standing by our side all the times,” he assured.
When asked to react to the allegation that he had attempted to undermine the popularity of President Muhammadu Buhari, the lawmaker declined comment.
It would be recalled that Hamman-Julde was said to have been pelted with stones by his constituents at Bali on Saturday, when he went to present 11 motorcycles and a car to the APC officials in the council.
The constituents alleged that the lawmaker abandoned them for over two years and was part of a grand conspiracy to unseat President Buhari in 2019 general election.
