Days after his death, a video has re-emerged on social media
showing former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, confess how he rigged
elections in Nigeria.
Mantu, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party before
his death, was a member of the Senate from 1999 to 2007. He had represented
Plateau Central Constituency in the upper chamber and emerged Deputy Senate
President in 2003.
The member of PDP Board of Trustee died on August 16, 2021,
at the age of 74.
Mantu had been actively involved in politics all his life before the annulled presidential election in 1993. He was the National Chairman, defunct Peoples Democratic Alliance; and National Publicity Secretary defunct United Nigeria Congress Party, amongst others.
In a video that has since gone viral, Mantu had said that he
was a born-again politician after he graphically painted how he rigged
elections for himself and his party.
The politician had made the revelation in March 2018 during
a Channels Television’s ‘Hard Core’ programme.
Responding to a question on whether he rigged elections in
the past, the senator had said, “Yes, I did because I am now confessing the
truth.
“I don’t have to go and change results but when you provide
money, you give money to INEC boys to help if they see any chance that they
should favour you. You provide money to the security (agents).
“All our elections in the past, I have been in this game for
about 40 years and I tell you each time, it is not necessarily when I am contesting
election but when my party sponsors a candidate, I will like the candidate to
win an election.
“What we used to do before, we make provisions for INEC
(Independent National Electoral Commission), we make provisions for security
(agents), we make provisions for even agents of other parties so that they
would not raise any objection to whatever we are able to get.
“So, whether I rig myself or not, by providing those
resources, financial inducement to the officials, I am rigging.”
When asked whether there was any hope for a change in the
political arena, Mantu had said it all depended on the players.
“If people who are born-again like me refuse to do it. If
we, the players, unless we give before somebody will take. So, don’t give and
you won’t get takers.
“You don’t even ask me why am I thinking this way? I am
tired of being seen as a criminal in the streets of the world because I am a
Nigerian. You assume that everybody is an innocent human being until his proven
otherwise. But once you are outside this country with a green passport and they
say you are a Nigerian, even if you are a Pastor or Imam, they assume that you
are a criminal or you have criminal tendencies. That must change.
“I am tired of living in poverty in the midst of plenty. I
am tired. No matter how much you have, you see people coming every day,
relations, friends, (saying) ‘my wife has given birth’, ‘my mother is in the
hospital’, this and that, every day.
“But if everybody has enough to take care of his or herself
they won’t come bothering you saying give me this, give me that. And I believe
that we have the resources, that people can live decent lives without being
beggars to those in government.
“We need good governance and good governance can be provided
by good people who are truly repentant, who are there to serve the people, who
are concerned about the primary wellbeing of the people.”
Many Nigerians including Leke Adeboye, son of the General
Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, have
since shared the video of the Senator’s confession after his demise.
One Othniel Gongden on Facebook said the Senator “confessed
his sins before he died. May God forgive and grant him eternal rest.”
“This confession should not be swept under the carpet,”
another Facebook user, Bankole Olukunle noted.
Since the return to democracy in 1999, elections in Nigeria
have never been devoid of malpractices and violence. Rigging is one of the electoral
offences provided for in sections 23, 24,117-132 of the Electoral Act 2010 as
amended. Several penalties for the offences are provided in the Act as well.
The United States had in the past hit election riggers in Nigeria with travel
restrictions.
INEC, the electoral umpire, had introduced a number of
technological innovations including Smart Card Readers but underage and
multiple voting, amongst others, have marred previous elections, resulting in
legal tussles between contesting political parties and candidates.
With the 2023 general elections fast approaching, INEC
Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had earlier in 2021, said, “By the principle
established by the Commission, the 2023 General Election will hold on Saturday,
18th February 2023 which is exactly one year, nine months, two weeks and six
days or 660 days from today.”
Yakubu had also described as challenging, the prosecution of
electoral offenders.
“For instance, since the 2015 general election, 125 cases of
electoral offences were filed in various courts out of which 60 convictions
have been secured so far, including the most recent one in Akwa Ibom State.
“The commission would like to see more successful
prosecution of offenders, not just of ballot box snatchers and falsifiers of
election results but most importantly their sponsors.
“We look forward to the day when highly placed sponsors of
thuggery, including party chieftains and candidates that seek to benefit from
violations of the law, are apprehended. We believe that the work of the proposed
Commission will help in this regard,” the INEC boss had said.
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