There hasn't been much to report about Ibrahim Mantu (at least, not politically) since his electoral defeat in 2007, where he contested for the senatorial seat of Plateau Central.

In an interview with Nigerian Tribune, he speaks on his plan to return to the National Assembly, and also sheds light on the (in)famous Third Term bid of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

An excerpt: "I don’t know if you know what is called principle of separation of power. Obasanjo was the president, the head of the executive. I was at the legislative arm of government and there was totally a difference between what one could do in the executive arm and what one could do in the legislative arm. Members of the legislative arm of government were like watchdogs for executive actions, so, I cannot see any favour Obasanjo could do for me. Or could you suggest what favour Obasanjo might have done for me to advocate his tenure elongation? Many of you press people are the ones that created these things. I am challenging you and your colleagues to show me where and when I actually advocated the third term. Nobody has been able to prove it. 

I was the Deputy Senate President of the Federal Republic at that time and part of my responsibility was to chair the constitution review committee. Therefore, the issue of third term elongation fell within our purview. We were trying to look at the provisions of the constitution and, of course, amend them. I was doing my job as the chairman of the National Assembly constitution review committee and was in charge of the decision that had to do with Obasanjo. So, everybody thought I was the mastermind of the whole third term bid, not minding the fact that I actually inherited that job from another Deputy Senate President. I was not the first chairman of constitution review committee. I met Senator Abubakar Haruna there. He was the chairman of the National Assembly constitution review committee. 

I took over his responsibility and that was as a result of what I was doing. But because of the pressure on those who were anxious and eager to take over power from Obasanjo, they bought into that and twisted everything. I want you or any other person to give me a concrete fact of what I did which showed that I was actually the mastermind of the third term bid, apart from the role I played as the chairman of the committee.