We’ll probe Mantu if INEC complains — Police

The police will investigate the confession of a chieftain of the
All Progressives Congress, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, that he rigged
previous elections in the country in favour of the Peoples
Democratic Party.

A police source, who confirmed this to our reporter on Saturday,
however, said the APC chief would be investigated if the
Independent National Electoral Commission lodged a complaint
against him.

A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity on
Saturday, stated that the force could not take any action against
the former Senate deputy president because there was no complaint
before the police about Mantu’s misdemeanor and alleged violation
of the electoral laws.

“Notwithstanding the admission of electoral crime by the former
deputy Senate President, we can only investigate him if there is a
formal complaint by INEC or other agencies.

“For now, we don’t regard the telecast as an admission of crime
until we receive a complaint following which we would invite Mantu
and interrogate him, “ the senior officer stated.

Efforts to get the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh
Moshood, proved abortive as he did not respond to calls to his
phone. He had yet to reply an SMS as of the time of filing this
report.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress has urged members of
the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to take a cue from Mantu
and confess their sins against the country.

The APC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary,
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in Abuja, on Saturday, said Mantu took the
right step by confessing the sins committed against Nigeria by the
PDP when it was in power.

The APC statement partly read, “Apparently burdened by guilty
conscience, the PDP national chairman had last week apologised to
the nation for the years of misrule that his party brought on the
country.

“The APC noted this apology but asked the PDP to go a step
further and confess its sins before restitution could be
considered. 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 the PDP will follow the bold example of the
former senator and confess to their other sins against
Nigeria.”

The police will investigate the confession of a chieftain of the
All Progressives Congress, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, that he rigged
previous elections in the country in favour of the Peoples
Democratic Party.

A police source, who confirmed this to our reporter on Saturday,
however, said the APC chief would be investigated if the
Independent National Electoral Commission lodged a complaint
against him.

A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity on
Saturday, stated that the force could not take any action against
the former Senate deputy president because there was no complaint
before the police about Mantu’s misdemeanor and alleged violation
of the electoral laws.

“Notwithstanding the admission of electoral crime by the former
deputy Senate President, we can only investigate him if there is a
formal complaint by INEC or other agencies.

“For now, we don’t regard the telecast as an admission of crime
until we receive a complaint following which we would invite Mantu
and interrogate him, “ the senior officer stated.

Efforts to get the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh
Moshood, proved abortive as he did not respond to calls to his
phone. He had yet to reply an SMS as of the time of filing this
report.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress has urged members of
the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to take a cue from Mantu
and confess their sins against the country.

The APC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary,
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in Abuja, on Saturday, said Mantu took the
right step by confessing the sins committed against Nigeria by the
PDP when it was in power.

The APC statement partly read, “Apparently burdened by guilty
conscience, the PDP national chairman had last week apologised to
the nation for the years of misrule that his party brought on the
country.

“The APC noted this apology but asked the PDP to go a step
further and confess its sins before restitution could be
considered. 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 the PDP will follow the bold example of the
former senator and confess to their other sins against
Nigeria.”