The main opposition Political Party in Nigeria, Peoples Democratic Party has distance itself from allegation made by former Deputy Senate President, Senator Mantu on spearheading the rigging structure of the party in the past. The former Deputy Senate President who is a card carrying member of the PDP made the jaw dropping revelation on a popular Television programme where he had confessed that be helped the party to rig elections in the past, and mentioned how he went about doing so (rigging).
The PDP in a statement released on their social media earlier, said Senator Mantu who could not win elections in his own ward in 2007 is the one talking about rigging. The party questioned the Senator that if he was that good and truly a rigger of elections for the party like he claimed, why then did he fail in his bid to return to the Senate in 2017.
The Senator who in the programm said he was now born again and was ready to confess his sins and want others in the party to do the same, spoke about how he bribed Independent National Electoral Commission Officials, Security forces and National Youth Service Corps members, also with agents of other minor political parties, said he perfected the act that gave his party his PDP electoral victories over the years. He also touched on the supposed apology given by the party to Nigerians, saying the apology was never to Nigerians, but rather to dissatisfied party members after their last convention that brought in Uche Secondus as the new party chairman, which to him was an imposition by some interest groups.
The statement which was in a series of tweets reads:
Senator Mantu spoke about his personal activities and tendencies in the elections where he participated. The @OfficialPDPNig 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.
It will therefore be misplaced for anybody, including the failed @APCNigeria, to surmise that Senator Mantu, in the said confession of rigging, acted on behalf of the
After all, in 2007, Senator Mantu lost his own senatorial election. What, then, happened to his rigging machinery, if he could not deliver himself. @APCNigeria
Mantu Never Rigged Elections For Us. 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.