A former presidential aide in the immediate past administration, Doyin Okupe has saluted a former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu as a hero following his confession on election rigging.
Mantu had come out openly to claim that he rigged elections for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, even as Okupe agreed, stressing that every election in Nigeria has been rigged.
He alleged that even the election that brought the present administration into power was manipulated.
Okupe wrote on his Facebook page that all political parties have been involved in the act.
“For the avoidance of doubt, ALL elections are RIGGED in Nigeria from 1959 to date, without ANY exceptions,” Okupe wrote.
“This rigging is all-encompassing and involves all political parties from action group, NCNC, NPC to NRC, SDP, PDP, AD, ACN, CPC AND APC.
“If anyone says anything to the contrary, such persons are wilfully perjured individuals and the true enemies of progress in Nigeria. Mantu spoke as a true patriot who desires true and genuine change.
“Suddenly the substance of his honest disposition is lost to partisan blame game that has not advanced our course of history in any way.
“People like Ibrahim Mantu and late President Yaradua who even openly admitted that the election that brought him to power was faulty, are heroes of this country.”
He claimed that it is only in the south-west that a “resemblance” to elections are conducted.
The former presidential aide advised that Nigerians, in their interest, should take Mantu’s words seriously and plan on how to conduct free and fair elections.
According to him, “How can anybody claim that only PDP rigs elections in Nigeria? Hide quoted text
“Parties in Nigeria rig both intra and interparty elections from wards through local governments all the way to National elections from time immemorial.
“Are we not witnesses to the undeniable fact that in all state elections, no matter how civilized, innocuous or God-fearing the state governors pretend to be, all state elections, No matter the political party involved, are won by the ruling party in the state 100%.
“For a truth, it is only in the southwest and a few other zones that a modicum resemblance to an election actually do take place. in most other parts of the country.
“Nothing like elections take place or better still the charade of people lining up and casting their votes is just a mere ritual that has nothing to do with the results announced.
“It is in our overall interest that we take what Mantu said seriously and for posterity sake, let us sit down and plan how to conduct proper free and fair elections in our country. Democracy is mocked if people have the right to vote but their votes do not count.”
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