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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.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on
Sunday, said Senator Mantus 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 partys 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
members 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 nations economy and brought hunger and starvation to
our people.