Ex-Deputy Senate President: I helped PDP to rig polls + video

A former Deputy President of the Senate and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ibrahim Mantu, has confessed to having helped the party to rig polls in the past.
The former number two man in the Senate made the confession on a programme on Channels Television, Hard Copy.
Mantu said inasmuch as he did not engage in changing of results, the fact that he gave money to officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure favourable disposition, he had helped in rigging the polls.
Mantu, who said he is now a born again politician, was in the Senate between 1999 and 2007 as one of the three representatives of Plateau State.
He said: “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 election.”
Speaking on the public apology tendered by the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, Mantu said: “We have failed the people through the ways and politics.
“It is time for us to ensure that we do not allow the wrong people to lead the people and the nation.
“As politicians, we have committed sins against the people by encouraging the things that we should not have encouraged.
“God has totally blessed our country Nigeria with abundant human and natural resources but we have failed to utilize these to improve the quality of lives of the people.
“There is the need for Nigerian politicians to apologize for all the sins we have committed against the people.
“That is because we have shortchanged the people.
“Winners names were crossed out and replaced with names of those who did not win.
“It is bad because we imposed those who did not win on the people.
“It is true that we (PDP) ruled with impunity.
“We must meet the expectations of the people.
“It is not about changing from one party to another.
“It is about changing our heart.
“It is about changing our attitudes.
“Let us sit down and reflect on the bad leadership that we have given to Nigerians these past years and change.
“Nigeria is supposed to lead Africa but we have failed.”