Nigerians React To 2019 Presidential Debate

By Njideka Agbo |   19 January 2019   |   11:25 pm  

Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari, former vice president Atiku Abubakar and three other presidential candidates were billed for the 2019 presidential debate that held today, the 20th of January at the Congress Hall of the TRANSCORP Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

Buhari did not show up as predicted by tweeps on Twitter in several polls.

Atiku who was on a trip to the US arrived Nigeria and made it to the venue to take pictures before leaving the venue like a man who runneth when no one chases him. This situation meant that three candidates, Kingsley Moghalu (Young Progressive Party (YPP) ), Oby Ezekwesili (Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) ) and Fela Durotoye (Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) ) were the last three standing.

Now, it is interesting to note that the three are members of the PACT (Presidential Aspirants Coming Together) group, a group which saw Durotoye emerge the winner, Young Progressive Party (YPP)’s Moghalu profess that a true consensus candidate was not produced and Ezekewsili, their referee at the election.

Back to the story. Shortly after leaving, Atiku became the king of twitter fastest fingers and went on about why he had to leave because the incumbent’s “non-appearance is a slight on ALL of us and our democracy.”

“We came here for a Presidential debate, not a candidacy debate, and I, Atiku Abubakar can not challenge or question an administration where the man at the helm of the affairs of the nation is not present to defend himself or his policies,” Atiku said in a statement on Saturday.

”After all you cannot shave a man’s head in his absence. I do not believe in attacking a man who is NOT here to defend himself.”
His disappearance took the most of the conversation on Twitter and set the Nigerian centre of the platform ablaze.
Take a look:

Some were in support:

And some hope that this is not faux rage

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