Buhari declines debate, PDP, others berate him

THE Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO) has condemned what it called “the contempt the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has for Nigerians by his refusal to participate in live television debates with President Goodluck Jonathan.”

   In a statement Monday by its spokesperson, Femi Fani-Kayode, PDPPCO said that Buhari’s decision to shun another debate organised by the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and Channels Television was despicable. Therefore, it called on Nigerians to reject Buhari at the polls as a just recompense for his action.

   PDPPCO’s statement followed the announcement by the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO) that it was commencing town hall meetings because its presidential candidate and the party would not were further backing out of the presidential debate.

   According to APCPCO, the town hall meeting is a deliberate strategy of the campaign ahead of the February 14 presidential poll, during which Buhari and his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, will interact and explain directly to citizens the policy thrust of their envisaged administration and how the set objectives will be achieved.

   Similarly, the Centre for Democracy and Good Governance (CDGG) has described Buhari’s refusal to participate in the presidential debate as illogical, undemocratic, immoral and uncharitable not to even present a standard that is less than perfect for Nigerians to decide on.

   In a statement in Abuja by its National Co-ordinator, Ola Oluwasanmi, the centre revealed that after Buhari failed to yield positive results following the employment of an expert to train and coach him in the presence of big-wigs within the ranks of the party, it was strategically agreed that the only way out to hide his incompetence and lack of capacity was to abstain from the debate.

   It further claimed that the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), foreign partners and other parties with vested interest in Buhari’s candidacy had met at the Rivers and Kwara states’ governors lodge at Asokoro, where the idea of a vice presidential debate between Osinbajo and Namadi Sambo was mulled, and later discarded it to avoid unnecessary public outcry that might arise thereafter.

   An insider, who preferred anonymity, confirmed that the APC conspiracy was to continue keeping the candidate away from public scrutiny so as not to rubbish any public gains that might have been achieved through experts who have done their best to refine his public perception. 

   APCPCO said in a statement in Abuja that the town hall meetings kicked off in Lagos yesterday with a robust interaction between Buhari/Osibanjo and the Organised Private Sector.

   Signed by the body’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the statement said the party was compelled to chart this course because of the compelling need to have a person-to-person interactive sessions during which pertinent questions would be posed to the candidates and responses provided.

   “Our campaign decided to chart this path because we cannot afford to shy away from the more pressing urgency to have one-on-one interactions with Nigerians through town hall meetings,” Shehu said.

  “Due to the more pressing urgency to have an open interaction with Nigerians, the campaign will be organising town hall meetings in different parts of the country. The town hall meetings kicked off today (yesterday) in Lagos.

   However, the PDPPCO said: “We have been informed that Gen. Buhari and the APC have decided not to participate in the NPAN-Channels Television-organised debate after they had earlier agreed to take part in it. 

   “We had thought that having withdrawn from participating in the debate organised by the Broadcasting Orgnaisation of Nigeria (BON), they would have availed themselves this second platform. Now that they have also turned their back on this, it is now very clear that Gen. Buhari is incapable of engaging in rigorous live television debates on the issues of governance. 

   “It speaks about his intellectual laziness and his loss of touch with contemporary issues of development and statecraft.”

   It added: “We would like to reiterate that the APC has something to shield about Gen. Buhari. He has campaigned in some states of the federation, attacking President Jonathan’s handling of insurgency, corruption and economy. Now there is a platform on which both candidates can engage each other on these issues and he (Buhari) is running away.

   “It is a disgrace to the APC and their candidate that they would treat everybody with contempt. The organisers of the debates are interested in promoting a robust culture of debates so that people can listen to the candidates and make informed choices on the basis of their arguments.”