The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to emulate the former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, and confess its sins against the country instead of indulging in name calling.
In a statement, APC’s spokesman, Mallam Bolaji Abdulahi, recalled the PDP National Chairman last week apologised to the nation for the years of misrule that his party has brought to the country.
Abdulahi said his party noted the apology but asked the PDP to go a step further and confess their sins before restitution could be considered.
He added: “Instead of taking this path to redemption, PDP has engaged in fruitless “you too” accusations and name calling. This is further evidence that PDP is not ready for repentance and only offered the apology with the hope that Nigerians will grant them amnesty and a short-cut back to power.
“However, now that Senator Mantu has belled the cat, by confessing to how he has helped the PDP to rig elections in the past, we hope that PDP will follow the bold example of the former Senator and confess to their other sins against Nigeria.”
Recall that former deputy president of the Nigerian Senate, Ibrahim Mantu, disclosed on a Channels Television programme on Friday how he helped his party, through rigging, to win elections in the past.
Asked how he did this, 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.”
He added: :”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.”
“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,” he said.
“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.”
