BEVERLY HILLS, April 02, (THEWILL) – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the confessions made by a former Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, that he helped the party rig elections.
THEWILL recalls that Senator Mantu, who was a Senator on the platform of the PDP, made the confession on Friday during an interview on Channels Television Programme, Hard Copy.
Reacting to the confession, the PDP, in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP declared that Mantu’s claim has nothing to do with the party.
The PDP also dismissed the advice by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to learn from Mantu and confess their sins against the country.
The party said individuals run their elections on the platform of political parties once they emerge as candidates adding that the party’s code of conduct does not give room to election rigging.
“Senator Mantu’s reported claims is 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!.
“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,” the statement said.
The party, therefore, said it would be misplaced for anybody, including the APC, to surmise that Senator Mantu, in the 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,” the party queried.
