The Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Taraba State Chapter, Mr. Victor Bala, yesterday attacked a LEADERSHIP reporter and confiscated? his professional tools, including a camera, phone set and tape recorder while the reporter was trying to discharge his duties during a protest.
The LEADERSHIP reporter covering Taraba State was at the party state secretariat to cover a protest staged by party members from Takum against the candidature of Hon. Tamko Tamti as PDP flag bearer of the oncoming local government elections. Tamti is currently serving as the caretaker chairman in Takum local government.
The reporter had wanted to obtain the speech presented by the PDP chairman in order not to misquote him, but when the chairmen discovered that he was carrying a LEADERSHIP identity card, he and his body guards forcefully seized the items from the reporter.
Although he urged the protesters to go back home while promising that PDP will conduct primary elections, the protesters were still shouting that they would not accept the candidate.
Tamti, the caretaker chairman, has been accused in some quarters of being complicit in the current crisis between the Tiv and the Fulani and that has dented his ambition of becoming the chairman of the local government come May 2012.
Efforts to speak with Tamti failed as his phone was not reachable just as he was not at home when LEADERSHIP called at his residence in Jalingo.