'‘You rigged elections for yourself and not for us'’ PDP disowns ex-deputy senate president, Ibrahim Mantu

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the confession made by former deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, that he helped his party rig elections in the time past.

Mantu made the confession during an interview with Channels TV. When asked if he helped PDP rig elections, Mantu said

“Let me tell you one thing, yes I did.  I am now confessing the truth. I don’t have to go and change election (results) but when you provide money, you give money to INEC boys that if they see any chance they should favour you, you provide money to the security personnel. I tell you it’s not necessarily when I am contesting election but when my party sponsors a candidate, I will like that candidate to win'' he said

However in a statement released by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP distanced itself from Mantu's claim. The party also dismissed APC's advise that they should learn from Mantu and confess their sins against the country.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed the advice by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to learn from former Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu's claims on how he rigged elections.

Senator Mantu’s reported claims was personal to him and has nothing to do with the PDP, as the party has never directed any of its members to rig election on its behalf, at any point since its formation.

Senator Mantu spoke about his personal activities and tendencies in the elections where he participated. The PDP has never directed or had any pact with him to rig election on its behalf. Never!

Individuals run their elections on the platform of political parties once they emerge as candidates. In the PDP, candidates are issued with the party’s Code of Conduct containing the basic rules of electioneering engagements.

There is nowhere in this rules of engagement where candidates or party members are directed to rig elections on behalf of the party. If any member’s conduct transgressed these basic rules of engagement, that individual did not act on behalf of the PDP, and as such the party cannot be vicariously held responsible.

It will therefore be misplaced for anybody, including the APC, to surmise that Senator Mantu, in the said confession of rigging, acted on behalf of the PDP.

After all, in 2007, Senator Mantu lost his own senatorial election. What, then, happened to his rigging machinery, if he could not deliver himself.

We urge the APC to manage its manifest failures in party administration as well as its incompetent, lack-lustre and wobbling governance which has grounded the nation’s economy and brought hunger and starvation to our people.