By: Valentine Adese (JP),
The allegations against the Chairman of Jos North Local Government Council (LGC) of disrupting the collation of the Plateau State Governorship Poll results, held on the 18th of March, 2023 is yet to die down as the Chairman, Hon. Shehu Bala Usman has debunked the allegations, while witnesses at the venue, have also come out to accuse him further of telling half truths to Plateau people in his Press Release, dated 22nd – 03-2023, signed by Philip Eplong, his Media Aide.
You would recall that, in the press release the Chairman, Shehu Bala had claimed that, he only voted in his polling unit on that faithful day and that his going around the Local Government (LG) on that same day was a “Constitutional Responsibility”.
The release also stated that, the allegation that he was disrupting the collation at the poll was an imagination of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Agent.
The release in party reads:
PRESS RELEASE:
JOS NORTH COUNCIL BOSS DEBUNKS CLAIM OF OBSTRUCTING SATURDAY’S GOVERNORSHIP AND HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY IN JOS.
“Chairman of Jos North Local Government Council ,Shehu Bala Usman has debunked claims in some conventional and social media platforms that he disrupted the conduct of last Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly election in his locality.
“According to the Council Chairman, the allegations by an agent of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP at the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, state headquarters, Miango road, Jos is not only baseless , but a calculated attempt aimed at rubbishing his personality.
“The Chairman wonders why the said PDP agent will want to drag his name to the mud by making such spurious allegations against him when he only voted at his Ali Kazaure 021 polling unit.
“He said the claim that the said meeting he allegedly had with INEC officials at some polling units only exist in the realm of the author who is out to rubbish him and the ruling party.
“Usman explained that as a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC in the State, it is incumbent on him not to do anything that is capable of truncating the peaceful election, by his actions or inactions.
“He reminded the PDP agent, that if what he was doing was tantamount to breaching the Electoral Act, why did security agencies who were stationed around the polling units not apprehend him?
“The Jos North Council Chairman, who expressed surprise with the allegations leveled against him, reminded the PDP agent that as the Chief Security Officer of the Local Government, he is constitutionally empowered to move round to ensure that peace is maintained.
“The Council Chairman while appealing for calm on the part of his supporters on the matter , urge the PDP agent, to mind his business by limiting himself to the role assigned to him by his party instead of meddling into other people’s affairs”.
However, Eye Witnesses at the venue of the collation have come out to accuse the Chairman of tell Plateau people half truths.
According to one of the Eye Witness, Mr. Abey Usman, he claimed that, the Chairman was at the collation center to hand over a petition. He even entered the collation hall.
According to the footage of the video made available to REALITY by Mr. Abey, it could be seen that, Hon. Shehu is discussing with another man at the center of the collation hall concerning the alleged petition.
On the call for the arrest of the Council Boss, another Eye Witness, Mr. Amos Goit, who lamented over the chairman’s p presence at the collation center, questioned if the Constitution also mandates him to be there.
He said, “The PDP agent was right to have called for his arrest as he has no authority to be at the collation center. If he claims he was doing his security checks around the LGA, does that include entering the collation hall?
MORE TO COME…
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