Mantu, Gogwim in fresh confrontation

Isaac Shobayo, Jos - 06.01.2008

Following the declaration of Election Petition Tribunal in Jos that fresh senatorial election be conducted in the Plateau Central based on the petition filed by the Democratic Peoples Party Senatorial Candidate, Honourable Zaniab Malik, the former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, has thrown his hat into the rig.

It would be recalled that Senator Mantu was defeated by the present serving Senator Sati Gogwim in April election in a keenly contested election.

Sunday Tribune reliably gathered that following the pronouncement of the Election Petition Tribunal which ordred for fresh election within the next ninety days in December last year, Senator Mantu and his political associates have commenced preparations to contest again despite an appeal against the judgment of the tribunal by Senator Gogwim.

A political associate of the former Deputy Senate President, Mr. Slyvanus Namang, confirmed to Sunday Tribune that Senator Mantu would participate in the by-election. Sunday Tribune learnt that both Senator Mantu and his associates have started reaching out to eminent politicians in the senatorial zone and the state at large, including his political opponents both within and outside his political party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Despite the appeal filed by the incumbent Senator, Sunday Tribune learnt that Gogwim has also started preparing for another election in case the appeal court upheld the ruling of the lower tribunal. One of his associates over the weekend told Sunday Tribune that Action Congress and the senator himself is not afraid of contesting with Mantu again, adding that the situation and factors that led to his defeat last year have not changed.

He boasted that the election this time around would be won easily, adding that the people of the zone were waiting for him to come out again.