Wole Ayodele in Jalingo
The returning officers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Jalingo Local Government Area in the February 3, 2024 bye election for Jalingo, Yorro and Zing Federal Constituency, have refuted allegations of embezzlement of election funds level against the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) chairman in the state, Dr Aminu Hassan Jauro.
Reacting to the allegation that the ALGON chairman embezzled the fund allocated for the allowances of the PDP Ward returning officers in the election as contained in an online medium publication, the returning officers maintained that the accusation was a mere political blackmail aimed at tarnishing the reputation of Dr Jauro who is also the Chairman of Jalingo Local Government Area.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Jalingo and signed by Nasiru Mustapha, Ibrahim Jungudo Manga, Emmanuel Kini, Hon. Bashir Suleiman, Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, and Moses Stephen Chamang, the returning officers for various wards categorically denied the accusations.
Insisting that the accusation was baseless and false, the returning officers stressed that Dr Jauro neither received nor embezzled any funds allocated as allowances for the PDP ward returning officers in the bye election.
They said: “We the returning officers of the PDP wards in Jalingo, hereby address the misinformation propagated by an online news platform and a WhatsApp group of the same name which accused Dr Aminu Hassan Jauro, the Jalingo local government chairman of embezzling funds designated for payment of the allowances of the Wards returning officers during the Jalingo Yorro and Zing February bye-election”
“The allegation is total falsehood and their claims are unfounded. We urge the public to disregard the report as it is a baseless and a deliberate attempt to blackmail the council chairman”
“To provide clarity, the allowances for the ten PDP wards returning officers in the bye-election were not included in the payment templates during the election process and was made clear to all parties involved. The delay in payment is not the responsibility of the Jalingo Local Government Chairman who is rather working hard to ensure the allowances are paid”
“We want to state here that those behind the accusations are motivated by personal grievances having failed to secure positions as councillors or appointments within the Jalingo local government administration. They are backed by certain groups in Jalingo who are unhappy with the developmental efforts of governor Agbu Kefas administration and that of Alhaji Aminu Jauro Hassan.”
