Former House of Representatives member George Daika said hoodlums attacked his convoy in Mikang Local Government Area of Plateau State on Sunday, amid the state assembly rerun election and result collation.
Daika, who is from Mikang, alleged the attack was politically motivated and linked individuals connected to Plateau State House of Assembly Speaker Naanlong Daniel to the incident. He made the allegation during a Sunday interview when asked about unrest in the area and delays in collation.
"Actually, it is true that I was attacked by some hoodlums," Daika said. He went further to accuse the Speaker of abandoning what he called a long-standing political understanding about leadership rotation in Mikang.
Daika said he had supported Daniel early in his political career because he believed in helping younger politicians grow. "I believed we are meant to help each other and help young people to grow," he said. He explained that Mikang was founded on cooperation among its K'num, Yom, Tel and Piapung communities, and that zoning arrangements were designed to ensure fairness and inclusion among these groups.
The former lawmaker said many Mikang residents opposed any attempt to extend existing political arrangements beyond what had been agreed earlier. He accused the Speaker of deviating from these arrangements.
Eplong Philip, Press Secretary to the Speaker, denied the allegations outright. "The Speaker is a democrat and respects George Daika because he is a statesman and his elder brother. He is highly respected by the Speaker," Philip said. He questioned the logic of the allegation, asking what benefit the Speaker would gain from sending thugs to attack Daika.
"There is no way the Speaker will send thugs to attack him. What is the benefit of doing so? The information is unfair to the Speaker," Philip added. He insisted the Speaker remained committed to democratic principles and had no involvement in violence of any kind.
The tensions in Mikang come as Plateau State awaits the conclusion of the assembly rerun election collation process and the announcement of final results.
