Plateau Senatorial Election: I am set for re-run - Mantu

Isaac Shobayo, Jos - 06.07.2008

As the Independent National Electoral Commission fixed July 26 for the re-run election in the Plateau Central Senatorial District, the Plateau State government has declared that it would not spend state money or use government machinery to aid the election of the former deputy senate president, Ibrahim Mantu simply because he is Peoples Democratic Party candidate, declaring that doing so would be criminal .

The PDP leaders in Plateau were divided over Mantu’s bid for re- election, just as the Action Congress(AC) was equally polarised over Senator Sati Gogwim.

Speaking in an interview in Jos, the Political Adviser to Governor Jonah Jang, Barrister Daniel Ayuba, who was also a former political adviser to the former deputy senate president, Ibrahim Mantu, said as far as the state government was concerned over the coming re-run election,, there would be no preferential treatment for anybody.

Barrister Ayuba, who said Mantu would only be supported at the party level, being a candidate of the PDP, stated that the state government would not employ public money to foot Senator Mantu’s campaign because it would be criminal to do so.

According to him, if the State Government wants to offer support, it would be for all those who are contesting in the election because the resources of the state belonged to all not a particular party

Said he: " There would be support for Mantu in terms of campaign being a candidate of PDP but we cannot take people's money to foot his campaign, we are not thieves, we don't do that kind of things. We are government for everybody not for PDP. we would support Mantu but we cannot spent government money on him".

Sunday Tribune findings revealed that the PDP in Plateau State is divided over the aspiration of Senator Mantu as some of the stalwarts of the party, especially Governor Jonah Jang loyalists within the party, have continued to distance themselves from the plan to return the former deputy senate president to the senate.

A source close to the party told Sunday Tribune that the PDP in the state is still foot-dragging over the re- run election and yet to come out with comprehensive plan even when the candidate had intimated the party of his desire to participate in the election.

It was equally gathered that AC in the state was not spared of the same problem as some of its members who worked for the success of Gogwim in 2007 election had switched over to Mantu’s side.

Speaking with Sunday Tribune Senator Gogwim said nothing has changed since the last election in the zone, adding that the people were still sympathetic to his course and wanted him as the senator representing the zone.

" I cannot be intimidated, if I am not intimidated in 2007 nothing can shake me now, most especially that the difference is clear to the people, with God and people of the district on our side, there is no course for alarm.The God that did it in 2007 is still on the throne" he said.

He strongly condemned the insinuation making round that AC in the plateau was polarised over the re-run election, adding that the party was intact and solidly behind his aspiration, "those peddling such rumour are my political opponents".

Former Chief Press Secretary to the former deputy senate president, Hon. Silvanus Namang told Sunday Tribune that Senator Mantu was set for the election, adding that campaign for the re-run election would be flagged- off this week.

Hon. Namang said PDP in the state was fully in support of the the former deputy senate president while all the stalwarts of the party beyond the senatorial zone have equally thrown their weight behind Mantu.

According to him, the people of the zone and the state at large have realised the absence of Mantu in the senate in the past one year and ready to remedy the situation.